683 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2492be08e25e71838d4eb3d7164feff7.mp4 5d9dd03d262e78f8368d974d31c2e41c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5e74f02e0d3681757e81254ffe721d7f.pdf 7b179babdf1b7d1e8033cdaf33c9dd14 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Vietnam War James Heyn 94 minutes (00:00:15) Pre-Enlistment         Born in St. Joseph, Michigan, raised near downtown o Never allowed a gun as a kid, was a pacifist as a kid o Wasn’t exactly proud to be German after World War II Worked at a toy store from 12-16 as a stock boy Lived a great, quiet childhood, pretty independent child Father was an accountant, Mother was a housekeeper o Mother took in laundry, ironing, and raised a few additional kids Finished high school in June 1965 Got a job from the father of one of the children his mother looked after, worked as stock boy for Heath Company until he got drafted Christmas Eve 1965 Didn’t know a whole lot about Vietnam at the time, knew what was on TV Being a pacifist, James was intimidated, but duty called (00:04:00) Basic Training      Reported to local YMCA, James was transported to Detroit, where he got to see his first strip show o Got a physical here and was inducted into the Army o Walked on Windsor Bridge and contemplated being a conscientious observer, decided against it o Only saw a few people go back home Boarded a train to St. Louis, took a caravan to Ft. Leonard Wood, MO o Processed in and got shots in 107 degree weather Went from here to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, home of the 101st Airborne Division James’ group was the first basic training at the base o They were housed in barracks from World War II, had to be refurbished and repainted, this took up most of the first week of training o All other Basic Training bases were probably full at this point o Many of James’ group from St. Joseph had dispersed at Ft. Leonard Wood Basic training was regular routine, got gassed o James was sitting in a field and saw a troop jumping out of an airplane, whose parachute didn’t open, first eye-opening experience of what was to come o James was a skinny kid, was in fantastic shape after basic training o Often ran from five in the morning to ten at night � o o o o One of the troops was a senator’s kid, complained and got it shortened to nine at night Overall James found it pretty tough, knew it was going to help in the field Discipline was heavily emphasized, many officers were Vietnam vets  People who messed up got sent home, 3-5 didn’t make it  Only occasional minor misconducts, discipline was pushups, dry shaving Adjusting to life in the Army was pretty easy because of the discipline Basic Training lasted about 11 weeks including finishing the barracks (00:14:15) Aviation School         Finished Basic Training in September, sent to Ft. Rucker, Alabama o Father was very crafty, James had knowledge with tools and mechanics, aptitude test sent him to basic aviation school Basic Aviation school was basic aircraft maintenance, how planes fly, engines, general aviation knowledge o About 80% classroom learning, 20% hands on Had much better housing here, much more learning, less Physical Training, college atmosphere o Was good friends with his roommate, enjoyed the school o Ran into singer-songwriter Bobby Goldsboro at the Dauphine Airport Spent five weeks here, Moved on to Light Observation Helicopter school o Operated Hiller OH1 and Bell helicopters for five weeks o Learned much more about helicopter operations and maintenance Moved to Light Utility Helicopter School o Was trained using a CH34 Choctaw, an old Korean War model Graduated, went home for Christmas, was called to Ft. Carson, Colorado in 1967 Noticed the southern hospitality, had a friend from Atlanta he would go home with No racial animosity among troops, Didn’t really see a racial divide in the area but didn’t spend much time off base (00:22:50) 92nd Infantry Division [check bio sheet or interview for correct unit]   Was called to the newly revived 92nd Infantry Division o Only a few people there when James arrives, first month or so is light on duties, keeping barracks clean, building the unit o Had built up enough people around March to start training, got new UH1H helicopters  Equipped with homing rockets and better engines Most training was taking apart, maintaining, and learning about the new helicopters, test flights and training the brand new pilots o Pilots were officers and warrant officers o James had never touched a helicopter during aviation training, team received training from representatives from the manufacturers o New Helicopters were about $250,000 a piece �      The helicopters the men were assigned here they took into Vietnam James chopper was called to respond to reports of smoke, found a downed helicopter that had hit a wire, everyone on board was killed o First time James had seen bodies up close Most helicopter teams were made up of: o A crew chief who was also a gunner o A gunner, who took care of armaments, o A pilot and copilot o Could carry 11 soldiers or up to 20 Vietnamese Trained with combat troops o Practiced insertions and extractions, flight training o Had a very close call with a low flying jet Only a few accidents during training Had officers who had flown helicopters in Vietnam (00:31:20) Deployment to Vietnam      Went from Colorado to Albuquerque, NM, to a small base in Arizona, flew across the Painted Desert, flew down middle of the strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, then to Stockton, CA, where he went on leave for a short time, which was cut short James and many other people hitchhiked north to Vale and to Colorado, he hitchhiked to San Francisco during Halloween o Encountered many hippies, Grateful Dead and John Lennon were performing o Was pulled into grand opening of an artist’s studio o Tried to look as common, non-Army as they could, never wore uniform Helicopters were loaded onto the USS Kula Gulf, an aircraft carrier with wooden decks, a merchant marine from World War II o James and a friend built a kite that flew the whole journey to Vietnam o Did not make any stops along the way o Everybody had a duty, James was put on Kitchen Patrol duty (KP) o James enjoyed the trip, got to read a lot o Ship skirted a typhoon, one soldier was seasick the entire trip, weather was pretty good otherwise o Slept in three tier bunks, only a couple feet between tiers Sailed into Vũng Tàu, the R&R center in Vietnam, in middle of November, flew to 10th Aviation Battalion in Dong Ba Thin o Was only helicopter unit here o Had to fill sandbags and build bunkers for first week o Was a pretty safe area James felt sorry for the people, first time he had seen those in a third world country, was a rude awakening, felt compassion for them, felt the Vietnamese were decent people o Had a couple dozen Vietnamese working for them, did laundry, cleaned living quarters and latrines �         Had just over 200 men in his company, most enlisted men stayed together after training Started doing flight missions after Thanksgiving o First mission was Dusk Patrol, simple patrol mission, one of the pilots had flown his helicopter into the ground, killing four men  James was crew chief in the command helicopter for this mission Many of his unit’s missions were “taxi” missions, escorting and supporting ground forces, moving personnel around from base to base Operated all over II Corps area, and in Cambodia where US involvement would be disavowed if they were shot down Only occasionally would do combat insertions, and even then only part of the company Performed a rescue mission, helping some Vietnamese soldiers evacuate the area, had to hover in one spot for about half an hour while people are hauled up, took about 3-4 minutes per person To his knowledge, James never came under fire in his time in Vietnam Life at the base was pretty good, had latrines and hot showers, could go to Cam Ranh Bay to get lobster or a hamburger Spent up to 5-6 hours a day flying (00:55:50) Tet Offensive        Woke up to mortar fire on early morning January 31, two saboteurs had snuck through the Korean perimeter and rigged helicopters to explode with satchel charges o Watched a mortar round hit a fuel dump across Cam Ranh Bay, spectacular explosion o Watchmen who fell asleep were locked in a metal box with no windows, one was killed Troop organized a grid of men and swept the base, lost three aircraft total, James’ was in maintenance James’ team was chosen to fly the II Corps commander around Vietnam to see all the damages of the Tet Offensive, visited every base that was hit, this lasted a week to ten days o Went to Saigon and stayed a few days, not too much action going on o Saw serious damage all over, worst was at Khe Sanh, only stayed two or three hours, watched the intense gunfight like a movie After this mission, went on a mission called Klamath Falls, supported the forward base at Bau Lach, drove a truck of supplies through Vietnam escorted by helicopters along very narrow roads, was not attacked James often had to eat fast during the monsoon season, before his food washed out of his tray James helped build Bau Lach from scratch before the Tet Offensive Continued to fly all over Vietnam, performing all types of missions, got much busier in after the Tet Offensive �o      Was in a helicopter that got its tail rotor shot out, had to perform a landing at 60 knots, everyone on board was fine Participated in direct support of the 101st Airborne Division, flew convoy cover for the 1st Calvary Division, supported different areas of operation all over Vietnam Decided he wanted to go home in June, gave up his helicopter to become a truck driver in Dong Ba Thin, drove supplies and Vietnamese workers James’ weapon of issue in Vietnam was a Smith and Wesson revolver, one of his friends bought a Western style holster and ended up shooting himself in the leg Smooth sailing as a truck driver, flew from Cam Ranh Bay to Tokyo, then to Seattle, WA, and from there back home to St. Joseph, MI Vietnam becomes a distant memory for more than thirty years (01:17:36) Cambodia         Supported Montagnards in the Laos/Cambodia Mountains o People were primitive but sincere Only flew 8-10 missions there, usually quick missions to drop in special forces to observe enemy movements there, did decoy drops to cover their tracks Saved a group of guys who had been dropped off next a Viet Cong force on Christmas Impression of Koreans in Vietnam was short, stocky, and beat each other up just for fun, they thought some were crazy Deployed from the States with troops that had only a month left in their enlistment Morale of the troops was generally pretty high, sustained 22 casualties and a few injuries There were soldiers who partied and drank, but most seemed to be focused on keeping helicopters in tip top shape, No units ever failed to show, performance level was always high James and a friend designed the patch for the 92nd Airborne Division [?] (01:25:00) Going Home      James was warned of the antiwar sentiments, flew home in uniform, didn’t have any trouble but took it off right away, didn’t think about since Classifies himself as a reluctant veteran, he opposed the war Had saved some money in the service, went back to work for Heath Company when he got home Ended up going into maintenance, dabbled in sales, became an entrepreneur and made his own photography business Discovered a website about his unit that brought all his memories back, started connecting with the men in his unit, attended a reunion � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context HeynJ1908V Title A name given to the resource Heyn, James (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource James Heyn was born in St. Joseph, MI and lived a quiet, independent life. He was largely a pacifist before he was drafted in 1965, but reluctantly accepted his duty to his country. James was in the first group of soldiers to attend basic training in Ft. Campbell, KY. He then attended Aviation school in Ft. Rucker, AL, and upon graduating was assigned to the newly reformed 92nd Assault Helicopter Company. James was then deployed to Vietnam, where he operated with the 10th Aviation Battalion in Dong Ba Thin. He operated all over II Corps before the Tet Offensive, including a few operations in Cambodia and building the base at Bau Lach from scratch. James survived a sabotage attempt during the Tet Offensive, and flew the II Corps commander to survey the damages after the first night. He even stopped in Khe Sanh during the bloody siege. Continued to support units all over Vietnam until he gave up his helicopter so he could return home. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Heyn, James Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-12-08 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/05c41a13688eb876f21ce551622cdf1b.mp4 0db98a40995e0ecbf78e7bf1db5699c3 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c2912642af7da1d4cb9f4de9fd54d3de.pdf 48b36e1da3043621fc7ed9bbdc587132 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Vietnam War Edwin Heiden (2015) 105 Minutes (00:00:20) Pre-Enlistment       Born in Benton Harbor, Michigan in March 1947 Raised in St. Joseph, Michigan Mother was a homemaker, father worked for Whirlpool corporation as a tool and die maker Graduated High School in 1965, went to work for Whirlpool on the assembly line Debated college, wasn’t a priority, wanted to see the world Had a friend who enlisted in the Marine Corp, eventually convinced him to join the Marines (00:04:45) Training              Signed up with a Marine recruiter in February, went to Detroit for a physical exam Eventually bussed to Chicago and then flown to San Diego and transported to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, showed up around midnight Edwin’s friend had warned him somewhat about the drill instructors, advised him to just to what he was told First few days were mostly shock and awe for the recruits, drill sergeants establishing control, breaking down the recruits Training was intense, recruits ran pretty much everywhere, lasted 8-10 weeks All gear was Marine Corps issued, Edwin was issued a standard M14 rifle Training was the process of breaking down civilians into marines Recruits did Physical Training every day, Edwin was in fairly good shape, some tasks still proved difficult for him Classroom work entailed Marine Corps History, weapon functions and maintenance Almost all of Edwin’s instructors had experience in Vietnam, focused a lot on team tactics and working together, didn’t mention Vietnam all that much Mistakes were paid for with more PT or verbal abuse, doing it until they got it right Two individuals from Edwin’s platoon were moved to Correctional Custody, where they were treated more harshly, made to carry sledgehammers as rifles and a steel pot for a helmet Adjusting to the Marine life wasn’t too hard for Edwin, he played sports in high school and was used to firm discipline for his father (00:21:20) Advanced Training �        After graduation, Edwin is transferred to Camp Pendleton, California to the Infantry Training Regiment, short 2-3 week infantry training course Trained on different weapons, M60, Rocket Launchers, combat tactics Trained to be a mechanic at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 4-5 week course consisting of operating, maintaining, and repairing vehicles, much more relaxed than earlier training, all classroom and hands on learning Transferred further east in North Carolina to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing as a truck mechanic and jeep driver, shuttled pilots and luggage from planes to quarters Wasn’t sure if he was actually going to Vietnam at this point, thought he would be here for a while, had been here for about a year and was getting impatient, Eventually volunteered to go as reinforcement Spent quite a bit of time in the town off base and on the beach Marines were treated pretty well by the locals as long as they behaved In the military, racial divides were minimal, taught in boot camp that “We are all green” (00:32:30) Deployment            Received a twenty day leave before deployment, visited his family Anti-war and Anti-soldier sentiments weren’t really on his radar, people kept their distance while he was in uniform, no open hostility though Sent back to Camp Pendleton for Staging Battalion training, three weeks which consisted of combat simulations in a simulated enemy village, taught to look out for booby traps Taught Edwin about Escape and Evasion, escaping the enemy if caught and avoiding capture while surviving in the jungle Flew to Hawai’i from Travis Air Force Base on a civilian jet, and then to Da Nang Landed in Da Nang at night, rainy and muggy conditions Assigned to 3rd Motor Transport Battalion after a day or two Took a Marine Logistics flight to Phu Bai, driven from there to his new unit Assigned to Charlie Company, home of the “Rough Riders” Initially just performs miscellaneous repair work, soon offers himself as a truck driver, Assigned to a convoy going to Da Nang, does this for the first few months, driving all over Vietnam o Before the Tet Offensive, this duty was fairly quiet, many of Edwin’s comrades were wondering where the enemy was Was transferred to the 3rd Medical Battalion in the middle of January, was transporting injured children in Hue City a few days before it was attacked, closest Edwin came to real danger before the Tet Offensive (00:49:50) Tet Offensive  There was a South Vietnamese Army boot camp just outside of Phu Bai, recruits started leaving to go celebrate the Lunar New Year, found out later the Viet Cong were replacing them �       Took wounded marines off of helicopters from Hue City into the triage, civilians trying to get out caused minor traffic jam Base was shelled periodically before this, but the wounds and casualties coming in from Hue City really drove home that this was war Troops and tanks had to be transported by river because the Viet Cong had blown up bridges and mined the roads Edwin helped with the wounded and identified bodies up through March, the commander of his division, the 3rd Marine, was killed over Hue City o The flow of injured was so great that marines were being treated in the parking lot of the triage o Edwin turned 21 during this time The Tet Offensive changed the whole atmosphere of operations, soldiers were wary of trusting any Vietnamese after Hue City The South Vietnamese had their own hospital, but it lacked many of the facilities of the US military’s, so Edwin treated many Vietnamese casualties as well Edwin traveled through Hue City in April while moving the 3rd Marine Division, he was awed at all the destruction, Citadel was destroyed, Windows and doors of the University were blown out (00:57:39) After the Tet Offensive             3rd Marine Division is moved North to Quang Tri, life here is much different, Troops were living in tents Vietnamese women were paid to help fill sand bags, sand bags were faulty and would often leak or burst Diet was rationed and worked from sunup to sundown Bunkers could not be dug without hitting water, so they had to be built above ground Troops surrounded each tent with blast walls, set up a maze to offer protection from rocket attacks, which happened 2-3 times Eventually got a hospital up and running, nearby bases handled casualties while the 3rd Marine built their base, used inflatable structures called MUST units as surgical tents Supply building and hospital were finished by the time Edwin left A CH-46 helicopter landed at Edwin’s base after being shot up pretty badly, Chunks of the propeller blades were missing, the helicopter could no longer fly and yet the pilot landed it safely Witnessed an incoming AC-130 crash on the runway and erupt in a ball of flame Edwin Developed plantar warts due to the wet and dirty conditions in Quang Tri, sent to Da Nang to have them removed, stayed at China Beach for an extra day for small R&R Took a five day R&R in Japan, was going to go to Tokyo but protests over the war forced him to back out, stayed with a small group of soldiers in a mountain lake resort near Mt. Fuji, took the train to Yokosuka, canceled a trip to Mt. Fuji due to weather and tried sake instead 3rd Medical Battalion had pretty good morale, Edwin was overall very impressed and very happy with the officers and surgeons �    Once brought in a soldier whose arms and legs had been blown off by a dropped grenade, could only be picked up by his flak jacket, the blast had been so intense that it cauterized his arteries and the surgeon stopped the rest of the bleeding, the soldier was conscious for the entire surgery, actually talked to the surgeon Drug use wasn’t prevalent around Edwin, soldiers stayed too busy, got two beers a day, spent most of their free time writing letters Edwin dealt mostly with Vietnamese women, enjoyed working with them, communicated fairly well, he was struck by how poor they were and the awful conditions they lived in Five people from Edwin’s high school enlisted and went to training at different times, ended up serving in Vietnam at the same time, they set up a location network through their parents and Edwin got to visit all of them at some point, all of them survived and made it back (01:20:48) Getting Out      Edwin thought about extending his tour as a sergeant, but his experiences in the medical battalion helped him decide he was ready to go home Flew from Da Nang to Okinawa and got caught up on his shots and got a physical, stayed a few days and then flew to San Francisco, from there to Chicago and then to Michigan Still had five months left in his enlistment, assigned to 5th Marine Division in CA, taught marines how drive trucks properly, ended up being let out 30 days early Returned to work for Whirlpool for a short time and signed up for the GI Bill, then enrolled in Lake Michigan College, attended for two years majoring in political science, then went with a friend to Western Michigan University for two years, graduated in 1972 Looked for a job for a while, did some odd jobs, went back to Whirlpool, got married in this time (01:28:48) Serving as an Officer        Eventually signed up for Officer Candidate School in 1973, moved to Quantico, Virginia Was like Marine boot camp but much tougher and at a higher level, stressed the heightened responsibility of an officer Also went to Basic School, more about combat tactics, leadership, weaponry Trained with many prior enlisted men, this training was very valuable to Edwin in OCS, Hardest mental and physical work for Edwin Graduates after about six months, assigned as an Infantry Platoon Commander, sent to Camp Lejeune and assigned to 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines Rifle Platoon, mostly administrative work, four of his men were in the brig and two were missing Edwin was also in charge of a motor pool, had his hands full Led his troop in desert warfare training for a month, practiced simulated combat scenarios �     Edwin’s unit was part of special mission force as defense line security for the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, troops would do PT and watch ships come and go from the harbor, this was a six-month tour of duty, Edwin was a First Lieutenant Once received a call about a fence jumper who was stuck, he responded and pulled him down to the US side of the fence, it turned out the man was probably escaping a prison in Cuba, and Cuban officials were claiming that Edwin had kidnapped one of their civilians Edwin was transferred to the 3rd Marines in Camp Lejeune, oversaw the motor pool there The war was over and Edwin figured his service was done so he left when the opportunity arose, worked for Coca-Cola in North Carolina for a time before eventually moving back to St. Joseph, Michigan The Marine Corps changed Edwin’s life, taught him discipline, attention to detail, the brevity of life, and gave his life direction when he really had none � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context HeidenE1017V Title A name given to the resource Heiden, Edwin Franklyn Jr (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Edwin Heiden was born and raised in St. Joseph, MI in March 1947. He graduated high school in 1965 and joined the Marine Corps shortly thereafter. Edwin adapted to Marine life well and became a mechanic. He was deployed to Vietnam as reinforcement for the 3rd Motor Transport Battalion in Phu Bai, operating mostly as a truck driver. He was soon transferred to the 3rd Medical Battalion, where he served during the Tet Offensive, helping transport and care for the wounded coming from Hue City. His unit then moved north to Quang Tri where he helped construct a new base. Edwin then returned home to finish his enlistment by teaching marines to drive trucks in California. He then left the military for a short time to attend college and get married, before returning to the service through Officer Candidate School. Edwin became an Infantry Platoon Commander and led a unit operating at Guantanamo Bay. Edwin left the service again soon after this and moved back home to Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Heiden, Edwin Franklyn Jr. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine Corps Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-12-08 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d1874c1ee8baadb841d6b34d4c7c679c.mp4 ab94336b4b49478ffde2430e740aa1b2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4e0c6cf12d36ddd15aac5d9ade653d38.pdf 641992afeee644d10103864e0dcf5775 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Robert Frederiksen World War II 41 minutes 50 seconds (00:00:45) Early Life -Born on October 29, 1925 in West Point, New York -Father was in the West Point Band -Sister was also born at West Point -Father had a stroke when he was 29 years old and was discharged -Family moved to Michigan -Had a wonderful childhood -Grew up in Newaygo, Michigan (00:02:20) Start of World War II -He was a teenager when the United States entered the war -Heard the radio broadcast on December 7, 1941 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor -Everyone was shocked -Men from Newaygo enlisted in the armed forces after Pearl Harbor (00:03:16) Enlisting in the Army Air Force -Graduated from high school in 1944 -Enlisted in the Army Air Force on February 3, 1944 -Wanted to be a pilot -Didn't want to live in the elements as an infantryman (00:03:43) Transfer to Radio School Pt. 1 -Originally signed up as an Aviation Cadet, but the Army canceled the program -Offered his choice of Technical School -He selected Radio School (00:04:22) Basic Training Pt. 1 -Took basic training at Miami Beach, Florida -Stayed in a hotel that was taken over by the Army to serve as a temporary barracks -After drills he would go to the beach (00:05:18) Radio Training Pt. 1 -Sent to Sioux Falls, South Dakota for Radio School after he completed basic training (00:05:25) Progress of the War -Kept track of the progress of the war via radio -Confident that the Allies would win -Knew they had to win (00:05:54) Radio Training Pt. 2 -Learned about Morse code -Taught about radio maintenance (00:06:09) Gunnery School -Sent to Yuma, Arizona for Gunnery School Note: Most likely Yuma Army Air Field -Had to know how to fire the guns on the bombers -He trained mostly on the left and right waist gun positions (00:06:40) Overseas Training -At the completion of Gunnery School he knew he would be deployed �-Excited to go to war -Sent to Lincoln, Nebraska and was assigned to Overseas Training -Assigned to a bomber crew -Did Air to Ground Gunnery Training during Overseas Training -Shot at targets on the ground from the bomber -Also did Air to Air Gunnery Training -Shot at tow targets (targets towed by fighter planes) -First time meeting the bomber crew was during Overseas Training -Men from all over the United States -Got along with them right away -Like a family (00:08:38) Deployment to Pacific Theater -Sent to Salinas, California and boarded a troopship in California -Sailed to the island of Biak -Joined the 372nd Bombardment Squadron of the 307th Bombardment Group of the 13th Air Force -Note: Means he would have flown in a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber (00:09:15) Flying Missions Pt. 1 -Started flying missions out of Biak -First mission was against Japanese installations on Celebes (now Sulawesi, island of Indonesia) -Bombed Japanese structures and strafed enemy ships -No fighter escort -There were 12 to 36 bombers per mission -Successful first mission -Took a little antiaircraft fire on his first mission, but no fighter resistance -Remembers on one mission a 37mm shell went through the bottom of the plane -Grazed his back, passed through the top of the bomber and exploded -Had he been any closer it would have killed him -Flew missions almost every day -After missions they unwound by drinking beer and sleeping -As a radio operator he field a “strike report” after the bombers hit (or didn't hit) their targets -Letting command know if they hit the targets, and if so, how much damage they caused -He was the head radio operator for each flight which is why he filed the “strike report” -Never really thought about things in terms of the “big picture” -Just flew the missions until they didn't have to anymore -Got debriefed at the end of each mission -Each crewman was interviewed separately and then those reports were compared -Continued to hit targets in the South Pacific through the rest of 1944 and into 1945 -Advanced to Morotai in November 1944 -Moved to Leyte from Morotai then to Clark Field, Philippines in September 1945 (end of war) -Remembers seeing a lot of Japanese planes abandoned at Clark Field -Bombed Japanese installations in Borneo, Indonesia -Supporting the Australians as they liberated the island from Japanese occupation -On one mission they used up their entire fuel supply as soon as they got back to base -Had to be towed off the runway (00:15:53) Aftermath of Battles -Stopped in Guadalcanal -Saw the damage from the battle in 1942 and 1943 -Stopped in Tarawa -Saw the damage from the battle there in 1943 �(00:16:48) Flying Missions Pt. 2 -In November 1944 he took part in the largest bombing mission in the Pacific Theater -Carried out a saturation bombing mission -Destroyed everything on the ground with no preselected targets -It was cold in the bomber at 30,000 feet -Wore heavy flight jackets and gloves -Sat behind the copilot when he was acting as the radio operator -Fired the waist guns whenever Japanese fighter planes attacked them -Had to be fearless on missions -Had a window next to him in the radio position -Had an on-plane intercom system so the crewmen could communicate with each other -Communicated with the pilot and copilot about nonmilitary topics most of the time -Trying to keep the mood light before they did the bombing run -As they advanced across the Pacific he knew the Allies would win (00:21:28) End of the War -No one knew for sure about the atomic bombs -When he was at Yuma, Arizona there were rumors about the atomic bombs -Japanese peace emissaries stopped at Clark Field -Remembers tall Australian soldiers were lined up on the runway to greet them -Meant to be imposing and reminder that the Japanese had lost -At Clark Field he remembers Japanese stragglers coming out of the hills to eat and surrender -Tattered clothes, visibly starving, and they stunk -Told about the use of the atomic bombs after the bombs had been dropped -Knew that the war was over and they wouldn't have to invade Japan -Meant that the use of the bombs most likely saved his life (00:25:28) Staying in the Army Air Force Reserves Pt. 1 -Decided to stay in the Army Air Force Reserves -Felt a war would start between the US and the USSR -Wanted to maintain his position as radio operator and rank of tech sergeant (00:26:03) Life after the War Pt. 1 -Went to college at Michigan State University -Studied forestry -Left MSU and got a job in Newaygo -Went to college at Ferris Institute (now Ferris State University) -Studied business and accounting -Got a job in business administration and accounting after graduating from college (00:26:33) Staying in the Army Air Force Reserves Pt. 2 -Stayed in the Reserves for a few years after the war -In the Army Air Force for a total of six years -Two years of active duty service and four years of service in the Reserves -Trained airmen as radio operators -Every six weeks he had to spend a weekend doing training (00:28:10) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Married his high school sweetheart after he returned to Michigan -Life settled into a routine after the war and college (00:28:26) Reunions Pt. 1 -Bomber crew got together once in a while after the war -Attended reunions a few time -At least four or five of the crewmen from his bomber are still alive as of 2016 �(00:29:22) Flying Missions Pt. 3 -Remembers when they dropped bombs the plane would jump due to the sudden release of weight -Heard the concussions in the bomber when the bombs hit the ground -Japanese fighters did attack the plane on some missions -Never caused any damage other than a few holes in the fuselage (00:30:37) Reunions Pt. 2 -Met up with some of the men from his unit who lived in the area -One man from Detroit, one from Flint, one from Chicago, and one from Toledo (00:32:00) Transfer to Radio School Pt. 2 -Disappointed when the Army Air Force cut him from the Aviation Cadets -Felt betrayed -Always interested in amateur radio which prompted him to select Radio School (00:32:35) Radio Communications -All radio communications were official -Used a form of Morse code and secret code to communicate with the base -Communicated with the base as little as possible -Only allowed to radio the base after the bombing run -Maintained radio silence en route to the target -Japanese could figure out where the bombers were and send fighters after them (00:34:05) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Eventually became the CEO and executive vice president of Great Lakes Energy (00:34:42) Reflections on Service -Experiences in the Army Air Force and in the war helped guide him as a person -Grew up a lot -Didn't take long to become a man (00:35:34) Visiting Denmark -Visited Denmark in the 1930s when he was a child -Mother wanted him and his sister to meet their maternal grandparents -Sailed to Denmark on the SS Frederik VIII off the Scandinavian American Line -Took two weeks to get to Denmark and two weeks to get back -Grandparents were named Julius and Sofia -Lived in Denmark for nine months in 1935 -Didn't pay much attention to the politics in Europe at the time -He was only 10 years old -Mother paid attention to the rise of Hitler and Nazism in Germany -When Jewish people were being rounded up she decided it was time to leave Europe (00:37:50) California -When he was in California he remembers sitting in a cable car with two Danish girls -They asked him if he was a Boy Scout and he responded in Danish that he was a soldier -They were so embarrassed that they bought him lunch (00:39:05) Basic Training Pt. 2 -Remembers one drill sergeant named Sergeant Harris -He was a good natured man that laughed when the recruits joked with him -Marched in Miami while civilians watched -Glad he didn't have to train at a base -Ate in a mess hall separate from the hotel -Still had to eat Army food even though he wasn't on a base � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context FrederiksenR1894V Title A name given to the resource Frederiksen, Robert (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Robert Frederiksen was born on October 29, 1925 in West Point, New York but grew up in Newaygo, Michigan. On February 3, 1944 he enlisted in the Army Air Force with the intention of becoming a pilot. He received basic training at Miami Beach, Florida and after the Aviation Cadets program ended he selected Radio School. He received radio training in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and then went to Yuma, Arizona for Gunnery School. He joined a bomber crew in Lincoln, Nebraska and did Overseas Training with them before deploying to the South Pacific. He and his crew were assigned to a B-24 Liberator bomber in the 372nd Bombardment Squadron of the 307th Bombardment Group of the 13th Air Force based on the island of Biak. He flew on bombing missions hitting targets on islands in the South Pacific. Over the course of 1944 and 1945 they moved to Morotai, then to Leyte, and were at Clark Field in the Philippines after Japan's formal surrender on September 2, 1945. He stayed in the Reserves for four years after the war. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Frederiksen, Robert Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air Corps Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-09-30 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c2a26965f412b647a7beeb5afc3b4040.mp4 47a274a10ea6ae90b9010539d37d574d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b17d5266e9efba484d9dc703b8b96afc.pdf e266b9d6642fb1149b8fe478339263e5 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Walter Felver World War II-Post War 38 minutes 45 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in Littleton, Colorado on September 4, 1927 -Moved to Phillipsburg, New Jersey when he was five years old and grew up there -Father worked for Ingersoll Rand -During the Great Depression he only worked four times a month -Refused to accept welfare though -He had three brothers and one sister -He was next to youngest -When they were old enough they all got jobs to help the family out -He worked for a newsstand and also sold ice cream to bus passengers -Sometimes would just ride a bus to Philadelphia and back (00:03:03) World War II -Heard about Pearl Harbor when he was in a movie theatre -Manager stopped the movie and announced that Pearl Harbor had been bombed -Didn’t notice too many changes at first other than his father having more work -The rationing of meat and gasoline was put into effect shortly after the war began -Had an old car and had to keep top half of the headlights painted -This was to comply with the blackouts at night -Two of his brothers went into the service during the war -His oldest brother went in first, and then the second oldest brother went in -Second brother was killed in action on August 16, 1944 at Caen, France -Oldest brother made a thirty year career out of the Army (00:06:58) Getting Drafted -Graduated from high school in June 1945 -After high school he continued to work for that same newsstand -He registered for the draft and knew that eventually he would have to serve -Received his draft notice in August 1945 -Reported for duty on January 6, 1946 and went to Fort Hancock, New Jersey -Initially was sent to the Port Authority in New York City to board a ferry -Took the ferry up the Hudson River to Fort Hancock -Remembers seeing an aircraft carrier in the Hudson River -It was very cold at Fort Hancock -Stayed there until basic training was set to begin (00:10:33) Basic Training and Tank Training -Placed on a train and rode from Fort Hancock to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training -Remembers seeing his house from a distance as they passed through New Jersey -Only time that he ever got homesick -Train ride took about a day and a half -Upon arrival at Fort Knox he was assigned to a barracks and medically examined �-He was assigned to armor, specifically tanks -They would go out on the range and practice shooting the M1 rifle and .30 cal. machine gun -Learned how to drive a tank, command its crew, and load and fire the main gun -Went on marches and received something similar to infantry training -Physically demanding -Part of the infantry training involved crawling under barbed wire and being shot over -There was a high emphasis on discipline and following orders as well as following protocol -Had a little difficulty transitioning into being a soldier -Eventually wound up enjoying it -The drill sergeants training them had been in World War Two -Go to punishment for insolent soldiers was extra kitchen patrol duty or sentry duty -Trained in the M4 Sherman tank which was equipped with a 75mm main gun -Was not difficult to drive -Driving it was done using two levers and two brake pedals for each track -Trained at Fort Knox for two months (00:16:50) Assignment to Fort Lewis -After training was complete he was allowed a thirty day leave home -Sent to Fort Lewis, Washington -Had to find transportation to get there on his own -Took about four days to travel from New Jersey to Washington -He was assigned to the 717th Tank Battalion in the 2nd Infantry Division -Prepared to go overseas if necessary -There were three alerts for them to go to Korea -They were supposed to go to Fort Ord, California if they were being deployed -He had a couple duties at Fort Lewis: -Venereal Diseases Noncommissioned Officer (VD NCO) -In charge of handing out and tracking small arms that were being used on base -Everything from a .45 pistol to a .30 caliber machine gun -At Fort Lewis they were using the M26 Pershing tank -Armed with a .30 caliber and .50 caliber machine gun, and 90mm main gun -He carried a .45 pistol and a .30 caliber carbine -He was assigned to a tank crew -There were thirty tanks in the 717th Tank Battalion -He was part of A Company -One of his duties was to assign small arms to different people for different tasks -Then make sure that the weapons were returned and secured afterwards -As VD NCO he had to make sure that men had protection when they left the fort -Also show movies and give talks about what you should do and shouldn’t do -He made the rank of Technician Fourth Grade (similar in pay to sergeant) -Majority of the men that he served with were also T4’s -Fort Lewis was fairly close to Olympia, Tacoma, and Seattle -20 miles, 35 miles, and 50 miles respectively -There was a bus that would take you to Olympia -A lot of times you had to get your own transportation -You could get a three day pass to Portland, Oregon if you wanted one �(00:24:24) Men He Served With -Most of the men were new to the Army like he was -Some of the men at Fort Lewis had fought in World War Two -A close friend of his at Fort Lewis had been on the Bataan Death March -The veterans would talk relatively openly about their experiences in the war -There were men from all over the country (00:25:42) Daily Routine -Get up in the morning and get breakfast -Go out for the assignment of the day -Going on maneuvers or going on a hike (00:26:13) Maneuvers in San Diego -For some larger maneuvers they would go down to San Diego, California -For the trip down they had to waterproof the vehicles with cosmoline -They would sail out of Puget Sound and then go down the West Coast -Once in the San Diego area they would drop anchor about three miles off the shore -They would go to shore and back in a LCM (landing craft mechanical) -Remembers going back to the ship in a storm on one maneuver -Thought the LCM would sink and he would drown -The storm was so bad even sailors were getting seasick -And to get onto the ship he had to climb up a rope ladder in rough seas -Navy, Air Force, and Marines were involved in these maneuvers as well -Remembers the Army-Navy Game was being play at this time -They actually stormed a beach in San Diego as part of the maneuvers -Remembers the water still being so warm in November -Went through the city of San Diego on half-tracks and people waved to them -Felt like they were coming back victorious from a war -It was enjoyable to go into the city -They stayed overnight in a barracks -The next day they boarded the USS Skagit and sailed back up to Seattle (00:32:38) Downtime -They would visit the nearby cities for their sources of entertainment -Never did anything that got him into trouble or that he felt he shouldn’t have done -There was a nice dance hall in Portland, Oregon -Could go to movies -Some men would get into trouble when they left base -Either by going to the bars or having relationships with local women -He managed to avoid that (00:34:20) End of Service -He spent a year and a half at Fort Lewis -He knew that he was going to be discharged in September 1947 -One of his final duties was to be an armed escort to transport a prisoner to the mental hospital -Had to sit in the back of the truck with a loaded rifle, across from the prisoner -Transportation happened without incident -Relieved to get back to Fort Lewis and turn in his rifle �(00:36:04) Weather at Fort Lewis -Remembers that it rained almost constantly in the area that Fort Lewis was in -As a result he would have to take his uniform to Tacoma every week to get pressed (00:36:34) Life after the Army -Went home and one of the first things he did was see his girlfriend -He got a job at the Easton Daily Express, a newspaper in eastern Pennsylvania -Worked as a compositor (setting the type or text for printing) -Worked there for forty four years -Eventually moved to Michigan with his wife to be closer to his two children -Son had gotten a job in Lansing, Michigan to be a TV weatherman -Daughter’s husband’s job transferred him to Michigan � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context FelverW1761V Title A name given to the resource Felver, Walter (Interview outline and video), 2014 Description An account of the resource Walter Felver was born in Littleton, Colorado on September 4, 1927, but his family moved to Phillipsburg, New Jersey when he was five years old. He grew up during the Second World War and lost a brother to that conflict. After graduating from high school in June 1945 he signed up for the draft and in August he received his draft notice. He reported for duty on January 6, 1946, and after a short stay at Fort Hancock, New Jersey he was sent by train to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training and armored (tank) training. When his two months of training were complete he was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington where he stayed for a year and a half, going on maneuvers, keeping a record of where the small arms were and who had them, and acting as the Venereal Diseases Noncommissioned Officer. He was discharged in September 1947. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Felver, Walter Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-10-31 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/97b4142e00439225b48009adadac60c0.mp4 0938b62329c7bdff3e8223a967c7f318 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0fe83eaf9020d392cbd1ee6c4ee3c344.pdf 835a38d8cb11c0661e2f7bbf7ff390b1 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview World War II Milton DeVries, Albert Lobbezoo and Andrew Dykstra 53:58 Introduction (00:42)    Milton DeVries, is from Wyoming, Michigan and was in the 32nd Division, 127th Regiment, Company F. While in he served as a sergeant. Albert Lobbezoo is from Caledonia, Michigan. He was drafted on April 16th 1941, and served in the 126th Infantry and finished his service in the 32nd Division Signal Corps. Andrew Dykstra was born in Kellogsville, Michigan and served with the 32nd Division. Andrew was in Company F, 127th Infantry, and held the rank of sergeant. Before the Military (02:28)        Milton, was working at General Motors in 1941 and he was drafted into the Army on April 16, 1941. When they were drafted, they started out in Bigelow Field in Wyoming, and they went to Kalamazoo the first night. The next day they were brought to Fort Custer, Michigan and they were inducted into the Army on April 17. Before Andrew was drafted, he worked for several years on a farm. Albert also worked on a farm prior to his military service. On October 13, 1940, all men from age 21-29 had to register for the draft. Albert and Andrew knew each other before the war had begun. Military Service (05:20)         The men spent about two weeks at Fort Custer once they were inducted. They pulled targets at the firing range. Then they were sent to Camp Livingston, Louisiana and were put into the 127th Infantry. At basic training, the climate was hot. That summer, one of the largest military maneuvers in our nation’s history was held in North Carolina. It lasted for six weeks. The only equipment that they had was their rifles. The uniform that they wore was from World War I and the rifle was also a WWI issued 23. (07:27) In May, they were still wearing wool uniforms. When Pearl Harbor happened, the men were in Louisiana. Albert was coming home from church and he heard about it on the radio in the car. Every morning the men were told to pack everything they had in their barracks bag because they did not know when they would leave. The 125th Infantry was sent to the coast to guard the United States. They left Louisiana in February 1942. The Division was slated to go to Europe, but they were needed in New Guinea. (09:27) �    Albert drove a Carry-All, which is like a Suburban, from Louisiana to Massachusetts. From there they boarded a train and five nights and six days later they arrived in San Francisco. They did not get off the train very often, each man had a bunk, and the only time they left their car was for lunch and dinner, and to walk around a little bit. When they arrived in San Francisco, they went to Fort Ord. About a month later, they boarded a ship on April 16, 1942. The first night was very stormy, and the men remember passing Alcatraz and the storm picked up right away. (11:49) The Pacific (12:00)         While on ship, Albert was on the ‘poop deck’ playing cards and the attitude of the men was that they would not be gone very long because they would quickly whip the Japanese and then go home. The men did not know where they were going, but they made landfall first in Australia. When in Australia, the infantry was moved far away from the towns. They were in an Australian Army training camp which only had tents and a mess hall. The camp was called Woodside and it was just Americans there, no Australians. The Australians were very happy to have the Americans there. Especially the women. At the camp, they did some drill and a few war exercises. They moved to Camp Cable outside of Brisbane where they were given jungle training. (14:20) At this point, they still had no contact with the Australian Army. By that time, they had been issued M-1 rifles and summer uniforms. New Guinea (16:00)        Milton and Andy took a Kaiser built Liberty Ship from Brisbane to New Guinea. Barrels of gas made the below decks smell, so Milton and a friend managed to stay top side for most of the journey. They land at Port Moresby, New Guinea. The men were sent out in a field near the airfield and were told to dig in. (18:03) Part of the 126th walked over the Owen Stanley Mountains and the others flew over. All three men were able to fly. When they landed on the other side of the mountain, it was many days walk to Buna. Andy remembers flying to the airfield at Dobodura and walking north to Buna. On Christmas Day, 1942, they began the battle. (20:47) The men saw plenty of Japanese snipers, and many American soldiers were killed from them. A man named Yeutter in Weapons Platoon was the first one to be wounded, and afterwards, Milton got his tommy gun (Thompson sub-machine gun). Communications were poor, but Albert worked the switchboard at the 32nd Division Headquarters, which was pretty well protected. (22:26) �                    Andy remembers one time while they were on the front lines, they heard what sounded like firecrackers behind them, which turned out to be Japanese soldiers shooting explosive shells. When they first went into combat, they did not know where the Japanese were. They crawled along and when someone fired at them, they fired back. (24:41) There was no front line, because the Japanese were everywhere. In their company, 223 men went over the mountains in several planes. Once the battle was over and they returned to Australia, only twenty three remained. Not all were killed, but there were many casualties. They could usually smell the Japanese because they were so close. (26:15) Around Christmas Eve, Milton and another soldier named Pete, got into a boat and went out to a peninsula, and for three days they were surrounded by the Japanese. Thirty or forty men formed a circle and just waited for them to come. The Australians were approaching from the south with tanks, but the tanks could not effectively operate, so everything had to be done hand to hand. Andy stayed back with the supplies, so he was able to avoid most of the heavy combat. But one day he was walking down a trail and a mortar shell fell right between him and another man, but it was a dud and it failed to explode. Organization was non-existent because artillery and mortars were flying everywhere, and many casualties were a result of friendly fire. (28:33) Andy was in charge of the runners because he was a sergeant. He remembers that everyone was on their own. Nobody knew where anybody else was. At night, the Japanese would approach their positions and throw stones to try to get them to shoot and reveal their location. (30:13) Milton and his men were there for three days, pushing forward and fighting at Buna Mission. He was shot on January 2nd at Buna Mission. In the middle of the night, sometimes friendly fire would occur because people would be coming and going all the time, it was hard to tell friend from foe. During a beach landing, Al was coming ashore and he saw General MacArthur smoking a pipe coming up beside him. (32:02) The three men believe that MacArthur was one of the greatest leaders and generals that the United States has ever had. After the men were done digging their foxholes, they would be filled with water. The changing of the tides caused the ground water to rise as well. The food that they were eating was c-rations. Some planes were dropping supplies, but they were often shot at by the Japanese. Andy remembers that the first Japanese he saw were dead bodies on the beach, which was after Buna. (34:18) Most of the men had malaria, dengue fever and yellow jaundice. Al had jaundice so bad the medic thought he was dead. He was flown to a med-center to be treated. The men also had jungle rot on their feet, with the temperature up to 130 degrees and it rained everyday. (36:00) When Milton was shot at Buna Mission, he was sent back to an aid station, sewed up and put in a medical tent for ten days before he could be moved back to Port Moresby. �  Al made it through the entire war and went to the Philippines. When he came home, his unit was preparing to invade Japan, and only two original members of the 32nd remained; Al being one of them. The men fought in blue jeans, and the personnel on the boats taking people back and forth all wore combat uniforms. After Buna, they had k-rations for food, and they also had other supplies that they needed. After Buna (38:42)             Once fighting in Buna was over, the men were sent back to Australia to regroup because they had lost so many men. They stopped at a nice beach, Coolangatta, so they could swim. While swimming, a soldier was hit by a wave, taken out to sea and drown. The men remained there for about two weeks. After they got enough men to head back they went to Finschaefen. That is where Andy got enough points and was sent home. He left through Milne Bay. (40:27) Al went from Australia to the Philippines and was at the Battle of Leyte. (43:35) This battle was very tough, on the way up a mountain to establish a communication station; they looked down and could see the Japanese and tell them from the Americans by their shoes. Reports say that there was between twenty and thirty thousand Japanese there. They had one prisoner; he was skin and bones and scared stiff. If the Japanese knew he was still alive and was caught, they would have killed him. At a Japanese hospital, they saw that they killed their own wounded that couldn’t be moved so they would not be captured by the Americans. (45:35) From Leyte, they made a landing at Luzon. From there Al ended up in Baguio which was a nice resort. At that point, Al and the other member of the 32nd were able to go home. They left from Manila and boarded a captured German ship. The captain was also German, and he did not know how to navigate or read a map because it took them thirty two days to get home. (47:14) Thinking back to the battle, Andy remembers one of his runners was heading back from the front and he ran into General Eichelberger, who asked him how things were going. The runner offered to take him up to the battle to see for himself, he said that he wanted too, but they wouldn’t let him because of his rank. He was a good general. Al remembers back in Brisbane seeing MacArthur and his wife with their son walking to church one morning. After the War (49:18)     After Milton was wounded, he was shipped back to California and eventually sent back to Battle Creek, Michigan. He was there from May till August 16, then was discharged. Milton was given an office job at General Motors and stayed there for thirty five years. Andy went back to working on the farm for Westman Brothers for twenty five years. Al also went back to the farm. Bell Telephone offered him a job right away due to his signal corps and communications experience in the war. He turned them down. �   Then he went to Reynolds Metal for a while, built trailers, and eventually got a job at General Motors. Even though he worked for GM, he always drove a Ford, and when asked about it, he said he knew what a GM car was made of. (52:15) After the war experience, the men feel that people should not take for granted the freedoms that they have. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DykstraA0266V Title A name given to the resource Dykstra, Andrew (Interview outline and video), 2004 Description An account of the resource Milton was born in Wyoming, Michigan and worked at General Motors until he was drafted. Albert was from Caledonia, Michigan and he worked on a farm. Andrew grew up in Kellogsville and he too was a farm hand for many years. Like Milton and Albert, he was drafted on April 16, 1941. All three men served with the 32nd Division and were sent to New Guinea and participated in the Buna campaign. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Dykstra, Andrew Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-10-04 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/07d4fc2370a569384c674cbe39edbb5f.mp4 9266827184de4afa760db6a4a50e8689 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7aa4e43ce40b47c1300515262016b1fb.pdf 27f98bc1d3cf17d18e6c81e548c8c233 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Roy & Marion Davis World War II 1 hour 52 minutes 40 seconds (00:00:15) Roy's Early Life -Born in Hartford, Michigan -Small town of about 2,500 people -Grew up in Hartford -Marion's family moved to Hartford -Roy and Marion met in school, eventually dated, and got married after the war -Born in 1924 -Father owned the Hartford Greenhouse -House was attached to the greenhouse -Provided flowers for funerals, anniversaries, and school dances -Sold the greenhouse in 1946 after Roy came home from the war -Had a sister -Always had three meals a day during the Great Depression -Father planned on building two more greenhouses -Great Depression made it impossible to finance that project (00:02:35) Start of the War -Didn't pay much attention to the fighting in Europe and Asia before World War II -He was in a drugstore playing pinball and a kid came in and said Pearl Harbor had been bombed -Meant nothing to Roy because he didn't know what, or where, Pearl Harbor was -Remembers riding in the car in 1938 and listening to the radio -News broadcast came on the radio announcing Hitler's conquest of Czechoslovakia -Father predicted that war was coming and Roy would have to fight in it -After Pearl Harbor, gas rationing went into effect -Family had a “B” sticker because his father owned a business -Meant they could get a little extra gas -National speed limit was set at 35mph in an effort to conserve gas -Young men enlisted or got drafted -Graduated in 1942 -Went to the Willow Run manufacturing complex (near Ypsilanti and Belleville, Michigan) -Turned away because he was draft age (00:05:10) Enlisting in the Army Air Corps -Enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet -Always interested in flight -Remembers the first time he flew was in a biplane at a fair -Went to Fort Custer, Michigan to take the mental and physical tests (00:06:54) Basic Training -On June 1, 1943 he reported for basic training at Sheppard Field, Texas -Took 12 weeks -Ran five miles every morning around the inside perimeter of base -Had a huge obstacle course -Climbed to the top then rappelled down in a parachute harness -Received gas mask training �-Went into a tent filled with tear gas, stated name and serial number, then put on mask -He did it successfully -Some men washed out -One man couldn't complete the obstacle course and got washed out -Reassigned as a cook in the mess hall (00?:10:47) College Training -Sent to College Training Detachment at Wittenberg University -Received navigation, math, and science courses and taught how to be an officer -Got ten hours of flight time in the Piper J-3 Cub -Flew with an instructor -He wasn't very good at flying that plane -Did that for three months (00?:11:58) Active Pre-Flight Training -Received Active Pre-Flight Training in San Antonio, Texas -Most likely at Lackland Air Force Base -Took courses on navigation, Morse code, engines and airframes -Had to decode 10-15 words per minute in the Morse code class -One man couldn't handle it and quit in the middle of the class (00:13:25) Primary Training Pt. 1 -Sent to Uvalde, Texas for Primary Training -Flew the Fairchild PT-19 -Got an instructor that swore at him whenever he made a mistake -Flew with a different, calmer instructor and did much better -Original instructor admitted that he was being too hard on Roy -His instructor taught him airplane acrobatics -Will never forget the first time he solo flew -Remembers singing at the top of his lungs (00:17:42) Basic Flight Training -Next portion of training was Basic Flight Training -Flew the BT-13 Valiant -Noisy and shaky airplane -Had a tendency to get into spins and wouldn't get out of spins -Cadets were ordered to bail out of the plane rather than try to get out of a spin -He was the first man in his squadron to solo fly the BT-13 -Had a fighter pilot for an instructor that showed him more flying tricks -Remembers solo flying the BT-13 the first time as well -On the last flight with his instructor they switched places -Roy got to critique the instructor for making mistakes (00:21:38) Downtime during Training -Didn't get off base because he was too busy with training -Busy with navigation courses, engine courses, and airframe courses -Remembers getting a half inch of snow and the base was shut down for the day (00:22:52) Multi-engine Advanced Training -Sent to Waco, Texas for further assignment -Some men got assigned for training on the B-25 Mitchell -He was selected for Multi-engine Advanced Training -Trained on the Cessna UC-78 -Did navigation training with another cadet or with an instructor -Flew cross country training missions at night �-On one of those flights the copilot didn't feel well, so Roy had to fly the whole way -Told to bail out or make an emergency landing if one of the engines cut out -Promised himself he would never bail out over the desert (00:26:24) Training Accidents -During Basic Flight Training one cadet was having trouble with touch and go landings -On one take off the cadet crashed and got decapitated -First fatality in his squadron -Two men died in Advanced Training doing touch and go landings -Lost radio contact with the plane and the two men came in for a landing -Hit a plane on the runway and both men died -Before graduating he had a dream about being in a mid-air collision -Had the same dream many years later, but bailed out in that version of the dream (00:30:19) Transition Training -Sent to Reno, Nevada for Transition Training in the C-46 -When he began Transition Training he was officially a pilot with the rank of 2nd lieutenant -Before going to Transition Training he received 30 days of leave -Went back to Hartford and reconnected with his high school sweetheart -They would eventually get married after the war -Only flew a total of 10 hours in the C-46 -Not enough training -The C-46 was the biggest, freight hauling aircraft at the time -Could fly fully loaded with only one engine -Great airplane, but it required sophisticated maintenance (00:32:50) Flying the C-47 -Had only ever been a passenger in the C-47 -He was the youngest pilot in his squadron when he went overseas -The older men took care of him and taught him extra flight skills -Eventually got into flying C-47s in Burma -The C-47 was easier to fly than the C-46 because the C-47 was a smaller plane -C-46 felt like flying a barn, but it was still a great plane if you flew it right (00:34:43) Deployment to China Burma India Theater -Gathered at St. Louis and told to collect their gear -Officially, they didn't know where they were going -Received hints that they were going to the China Burma India Theater (CBI Theater) -Went to Fort Totten, New York -Spent the night there -Went to the PX, bought a jungle knife, and sharpened it while drinking beer -Still has the knife -Next morning had to fall out at daybreak and he had a terrible hangover -Flew on a C-46 mail plane -Stopped in Bermuda to refuel -Stopped in the Azores to refuel -Stayed overnight in Casablanca, Morocco -Ordered to stay out of the native quarters -American servicemen disappeared and were never seen again -Remembers all of the white houses -Stopped in Libya -In Iran it was 100 degrees, so they stayed in the plane �(00:40:17) Arrival in India -Stopped in Karachi, India (now Karachi, Pakistan) -Stayed there for two or three weeks -Bought a pair of Karachi boots -Flew to Sookerating Field in Assam Valley, India -Started flying missions out of that field when he got established -Treated well by the men there, but not officiously -Shortly after arriving he was made officer of the day -Meant he wore his best uniform and carried a .45 caliber pistol -First time he cleaned his pistol it discharged without warning -Learned that it had a hair trigger and had to be handled with care (00:43:30) Flying Missions in India -First mission was a flight over “the Hump” (eastern end of the Himalayas) to Chengdu, China -Delivering fuel and picking up Chinese conscripts to be trained in India for the Chinese Army -Flew over uncharted territory -All of the conscripts got airsick -When they landed at Sookerating Field they delivered the conscripts to a Chinese sergeant -Flew countless missions out of India (00:46:39) Weather Conditions -Primary weather concern for flying over the Himalayas was the powerful west wind -If there wasn't wind, dense fog would roll in making it almost impossible to land -During one mission the fog rolled in and they ran low on gas -At the last minute an airfield told them they could land -Made the landing with only their instruments -Most dangerous weather concern was the severe thunderstorms over the Himalayas -50,000 to 60,000 feet in height -Flew through a storm once and experienced St. Elmo's Fire (00:51:05) Stationed in India -While stationed in India they lived in tents on an old tea plantation -Had Hindu waiters -Aware of the distinct cultural differences, especially concerning food and animals -Always felt bad that the Hindu waiters served the Americans beef stew -Went into the nearby town and got his picture taken -Ran into British soldiers -Stationed in India for three months (00:54:38) Stationed in Burma -Sent to Myitkyina Airfield, Burma -Liberated from Japanese occupation by Merrill's Marauders on May 17, 1944 -Remembers seeing a Japanese Betty (Mitsubishi G4M) bomber on the runway -Found the corpse of a Japanese soldier buried at the airfield -Had a squadron of P-47s that flew bombing runs against the retreating Japanese -Knew that the Japanese were retreating from the area -Arrived after Christmas 1944 -Stayed there until the war ended -Lived in British Army tents -Pretty good tents -Hired natives to build a hut for them -Never got to move into the hut though because the war ended -Continued to fly missions over the Himalayas �-Used water from the Irrawaddy River and purified it with chlorine -On one mission out of Burma he flew a colonel to a party in India -Stayed in the officers' quarters while the colonel went to the party -The next day the colonel was hungover and reeked of alcohol -Severe thunderstorm rolled in, but colonel insisted they take off anyway -Fortunately, they made it through the thunderstorm -Got back to Myitkyina and thick clouds meant planes had to wait to land -Colonel grew impatient and ordered Roy to radio the tower -Given clearance to land because of the colonel's rank -They got to land before everyone else -Bothered Roy that the colonel complained and got his way -Flew half the time during missions -One pilot flew to the destination, and he flew back to Burma -Had a friend that had delivered P-39s to the Soviet Union -Excellent pilot -Flew with him on one mission across the Himalayas -Made it to their destination and then had to take off in a rainstorm -Turned into an ice storm -Had intense turbulence and ice building up on the wings and propellers -Gradually increased their altitude to get out of the storm -Able to fly by moonlight -Got back to base, debriefed, and received two shots of medicinal whiskey -Worst flight he ever experienced (01:08:10) End of the War -Remembers dropping off cargo and picking up cargo on a routine mission -Saw an old friend from training -Didn't know it would be his last missions -Finally felt like he could handle the C-47 -Next day got sick and the flight surgeon grounded him for 30 days -In that time, the atomic bombs were dropped and Japan surrendered -Remembers hearing the news that Japan had surrendered -All of the men fired their guns into the air -Day after that command ordered the men to turn in their weapons -In September 1945 he was ordered to a hospital in Calcutta, India -Had to do sick call every day -Doctor determined that he had a fever and “allergies” -After 30 days he went to the commanding officer and requested a return to duty, or go home -Commander decided to let Roy go home (01?:11:00) Coming Home & End of Service -Went home on a hospital ship -Took 30 days to sail from India to the United States -Indian Ocean to Red Sea, through Suez Canal, across Mediterranean Sea -In the Straits of Gibraltar they ran into a bad storm and got issued lifebelts -Told that if they sank the lifebelts would be useless; they'd die in the water -The next morning he was the only man in the ship's mess hall -Everyone else was seasick -He never got seasick, or airsick -Landed at New York City -Saw the Statue of Liberty �-Greeted by the Salvation Army -Given doughnuts and real milk (as opposed to powdered milk) -Sent to a hospital in Indiana -Given 30 days of leave -Parents sent him to see a doctor in Hartford -Administered a shot of penicillin -Doctor had been a flight surgeon in North Africa with the Army Air Force -Became lifelong friends -Delivered Roy and Marion's children -A day or two later he felt much better -Marion eventually worked for the doctor as a nurse in the office -For years after the war Roy still had bouts of the illness -Most likely contracted malaria while in India or Burma -After the leave reported to Indiana with Marion -Stayed there for a week or two -Sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois to get discharged in early 1946 (01:17:41) Life after the War -Came home and felt lost being a civilian -Expected perfection coming home, and it wasn't -Married to Marion for 68 years -Got married in 1947 -Marion plead to the Air Force not to call up Roy for service during the Korean War -Got his commercial pilot's license -Flew around the Hartford area -Buzzed Marion's family's house while they were still dating -Eligible for the GI Bill, and Marion encouraged him to go to college -Went to college at Western Michigan University -Lived at WMU for his first semester -GI Bill paid for his bachelor's degree and part of his master's degree -Lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan then moved back to Hartford -Write a column for the Tri-City Record -Has done it for 30, or 35 years -Thought he would only do it for a year when he started writing the column -Wanted to be an engineer -Found out he was bad at math, and the engineering job market was saturated -Found out he was good at literature and the arts and enjoyed it -Became an English teacher -Taught drafting for a while, closest he got to engineering -In 1977 he decided his students ought to keep journals -He decided to keep his journals as well -Has completed 125 journals since 1977 -Taught at Pioneer High School, St. Joseph High School, Lake Michigan College, University of Michigan -Got his doctorate at the University of Michigan and at Yale -Teaching literature and preparing English teachers -Moved back to Hartford in 1982 and still lives there (01:28:54) Marion's Nurse Training Pt. 1 -When she was a little girl her cousin was a nurse -Decided she wanted to be a nurse �-Applied for South Bend, Indiana Nurse Program at St. Joseph Hospital -Parents paid for the tuition for the first year -Became a cadet nurse in September 1943 -Meant she was a government employee -Witnessed an autopsy -Within ten days four or five girls dropped out -Issued cadet uniforms and cadet pay -Paid $15 a month -Received six months of preliminary training -Cleaned IV tubes, cleaned bed pans, made beds, cleaned syringes -Pulled general duty on the medical floor -Prepared corpses for transfer to the morgue -After a year put on night duty -Did things the older nurses were afraid to do -Wanted to get into the Navy if she was going to get into the service -Father served in the Navy and didn't have to worry about going overseas (01:35:40) Nurse Schedule -Worked seven and a half days, then got a half day off -In the summers they didn't have classes -In the winter, days started at 7 AM, classes all day, studied, and pulled duty at night -Strict regulations -In her last year of training she had to wait to the end of the year to get leave -During that leave they reconnected and started dating again (01:39:47) Marion's Nurse Training Pt. 2 -In the nursing program for three years -Dealt with a rape case from the city of South Bend -A nursing supervisor couldn't handle it and walked out -Marion remarked that a supervisor shouldn't be in charge if they can't handle that -Got in trouble for that -Came out of the nursing program more mature and more responsible -Allowed to see USO Shows -Had to do switchboard duty for the hospital one night without any training -Fortunately they didn't get many calls that night -Learned not to look down on people, no matter what they were doing -Nurse training allowed her to get a career wherever she and Roy moved (01:47:32) Contact with Roy -Hadn't heard from him for a while when he went overseas -Roy's mother thought that he was missing in action -Marion knew that he wasn't MIA until the Army officially said he was MIA -At one point hadn't heard from Roy for weeks -All of a sudden started getting old letters from Roy -Eventually received word from Roy that he was okay -She sent him a picture when he was in Burma, for morale purposes (01:50:05) Getting Married -Completed nurse program in September 1946 -Decided to wait a year after she got out of nurses training -Wanted nursing experience before starting a family -Saved her money to prepare for starting a family � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DavisR1914V Title A name given to the resource Davis, Roy M. and Marion (Interview outline and video), 2016 Description An account of the resource Roy Davis was born in Hartford, Michigan in 1924. He grew up in Hartford and after graduating from high school in 1942 enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet. He reported for duty on June 1, 1943 and began training at Sheppard Field, Texas. From there he went to Wittenberg University for College Training then went to San Antonio, Texas for Active Pre-Flight Training. He received flight training in Uvalde, Texas, and after graduating as a pilot and receiving his commission as a 2nd lieutenant he was assigned to Multi-engine Advanced Training. In Reno, Nevada he trained on the C-46 cargo plane. In late summer 1944 he deployed to the China-Burma-India Theater and was stationed at Sookerating Field in the Assam Valley of India, flying supply missions into China over the Himalayas. Three months later, after Christmas 1944, he was transferred to Myitkyina Airfield, Burma where he continued to fly supply missions until the war ended. He contracted a disease (most likely malaria) and stayed in Burma until he was transferred to Calcutta, India in September 1945 for 30 days in a hospital. In October 1945 he returned to the United States and arrived in November. He received 30 days of leave and was discharged in early 1946. Marion Davis grew up in Hartford, Michigan and in September 1943 enrolled as a cadet nurse at St. Jospeh Hospital in South Bend, Indiana. She received hands-on training on how to be a nurse and planned on joining the Navy after she completed her nursing program if the war was still going on. She completed her nursing program at St. Joseph Hospital in September 1946, and married Roy Davis in 1947. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Davis, Roy M. and Marion Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Air Forces Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-01-04 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/13ca080b07f9a23353b17e95f888d3c8.mp4 318283492447363e16aaa29456b7886b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bcc7d354a8d64d1e6b47e6c577f91121.pdf 363e9558d3fceb188d94d3a166852cd3 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Robert Crans Vietnam War 1 hour 34 minutes 37 seconds (00:00:40) Early Life -Born in Hastings, Michigan on July 8, 1947 -Grew up in a single-parent home with his mother -Grew up in Hastings through middle school -Grandma ran a restaurant in Freeport, Michigan -Moved there with his mother to help run the restaurant -Attended Middleville High School -Graduated from there in July 1965 -There weren't a lot of jobs in the area -Uncle suggested that he look for work at Michigan State University -Went to MSU to apply for a job and got hired on the same day -Moved to East Lansing, Michigan and got an apartment so he was close to the school -It was a little different being a worker at the school and not a student -Worked at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center -Went to basketball games and concerts at MSU (00:03:05) Enlisting in the Navy Pt. 1 -In January 1966 he received a letter notifying him to report for a draft physical -Family had a military background -Relatives served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War -Uncle advised him to look into the Navy -Talked to a Navy recruiter and decided to enlist -Worked at Michigan State until late May 1966 -Went home for a week to say good bye to his family and friends -Reported for duty in June 1966 (00:04:5) Awareness of the Vietnam War Pt. 1 -Nightly news talked about the troop buildup in Vietnam -There wasn't public support like in World War II -Had friends avoid the draft and others friends that did military service (00:05:25) Enlisting in the Navy Pt. 2 -No matter where you were in the military you could be in danger -Had no problem with serving, but didn't want to be in the jungle -Enlisted for four years -No choice in training he wanted -That was determined by an aptitude test -There was a large pool of recruits in the Navy, so the Navy could be selective (00:07:04) Basic Training Pt. 1 -Sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois for basic training -Emphasis on being neat, timely, and working with a unit -Emphasizing that you were no longer an individual and other people depended on you -It was hot that summer in Illinois -Days were spent doing physical training or classroom work -Came out of basic training feeling more confident �-Lasted eight weeks -Got done in August 1966 -There was one training company totally comprised of men from Wisconsin -Rest of the men were from all over the country -Exposure to different people and different mindsets -Stark differences in mentality between the Northerners and Southerners -Navy instructors were career officers and in their late 30s or 40s -One officer called recruits into his office to tell them to work harder or face starting over (00�:11:00) Adjusting to the Navy -At his first duty station he was with completely new people and doing menial work -At his second duty station he adjusted better -At his last duty station he had experience and was comfortable (00:12:05) Basic Training Pt. 2 -Terrified he would make a mistake in basic training and have to start over or get kicked out -Uncertain whether he was really Navy material or not -Remembers some recruits that got recycled -They were made to do the same tasks over and over because they couldn't do them properly -He had to get into the mindset of being in a unit (00:14:49) Duty on the USS Lexington (CV-16) -Assigned to the aircraft carrier the USS Lexington (CV-16) -Operated out of Pensacola, Florida -Ship's main duty was to train naval aviators for service on aircraft carriers -Ship went to sea for a week so pilots could do day and night landing qualifications -Spent a week at Corpus Christi, Texas for jet pilots -Had pilots train with propeller-driven aircraft at Pensacola -The first time he was at sea he still felt the ship rocking back and forth -He was on the deck crew -Got lines off the ship to get underway -Spliced rope -Older officers on the deck crew trained him -They were good men, but they disciplined you if you did something wrong -Enjoyed working on the carrier because he felt he was learning practical things -Spent one week at sea, one week at Corpus Christi, and the rest of the time at Pensacola -He felt it was boring duty -Stationed on the USS Lexington from September 1966 to July 1967 (00:18:13) Downtime in Pensacola -Went into Pensacola on leave -Found it to be a pretty city -Had never seen the Gulf of Mexico before -New experience being in the South -Remembers it was 75 degrees on Christmas Day 1966 -Going into the city got boring after a while -There was a movie theater, a USO shop, and a place for sailors to sleep -Befriended the men he worked with on the ship, and they went into Pensacola together -Civilians in Pensacola treated the sailors pretty well -Understood the servicemen were an integral part of the local economy -As long as you weren't a troublemaker then the civilians didn't mind -Found it hard to meet girls in Pensacola because they weren't interested in sailors -Found them to be too transient �-Girls liked the pilots better (00:21:16) Awareness of the Vietnam War Pt. 2 -Didn't pay much attention to the Vietnam War -Focused more on keeping up with his family and being in the Navy (00:21:48) Getting Injured & Orders for Vietnam -Had an accident on the USS Lexington -Worked in a compartment two decks below the fo’c’sle -They were in the harbor at Corpus Christi -He put everything away, went up the stairs, and slipped on a puddle of oil -Which resulted in him slamming his jaw into the hatch on his way out -He was taken to the hospital in Corpus Christi because he broke his jaw -Had to have his jaw reset, wired shut, and he had to spend six weeks in the hospital -The ship no longer needed him so he was sent to Charleston, South Carolina -He thought he was going for a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea -Instead, he received orders for Vietnam -Shocking, but at the same time exciting (00:25:36) Assignment to the USS Robert H. McCard (DD-822) -Heard a petty officer on the USS Robert H. McCard (DD-822) needed laundry help -He volunteered for that because he didn't want to be on the deck crew again -Assigned to the destroyer, USS Robert H. McCard (DD-822) -Named after a Marine, Robert H. McCard who was a Medal of Honor recipient -Built at the end of World War II -It rolled 15 to 20 degrees when it went to sea -Had to delicately walk around the ship -336 men aboard the ship -Focused on antisubmarine warfare -Rockets, torpedoes, and primitive drones for detecting submarines -Converted to antisubmarine warfare after the Korean War -Very small quarters -Three high bunks with a footlocker for your possession -Cramped eating quarters -Had to quickly eat and move so other crewmen could eat -There was decent food on the ship -Baked its own bread and they had fresh food every week -Had movies in the mess hall at night (00:30:52) Duties on the USS Robert H. McCard (DD-822) -Washing machines on the ship could wash 150 pounds of laundry in one cycle -Weighed laundry bags to see how much laundry they could wash -Had to wash and press officers' uniforms -Did that for enlisted men's dress uniforms as a favor -Worked eight hour shifts in the laundry room -Three men worked in the laundry room, one at a time -Men working in the engine room needed to have their clothes washed separately -Worked on the night shift (11 PM to 7 AM) -Nobody was up and bothering him -Spent his time reading when he wasn't working -Wasn't difficult work -Had different work when they went to general quarters -Specific duty for an emergency or if the ship was under attack �-Worked in the aft aid station on a sound-powered telephone -If someone got hurt he would be the first to relay that information -Aid station was in the ship's barber shop (00:35:04) Deployment to Vietnam -Left the United States on November 1, 1967 -Sailed past Florida, through the Caribbean Sea, and to the Panama Canal -All of the ships lined up at the Panama Canal to go through the locks -It was very hot -Had to refuel on the Pacific Ocean side of the Panama Canal -Went to a huge warehouse that served as a bar -Sailed to San Diego, then on to Hawaii, to Guam, and then to Subic Bay, Philippines -Took a month to get to Subic Bay -Got off the ship at San Diego -Pretty city -Not very Navy friendly -There were a lot of interesting places to see -Visited the San Diego Zoo at Balboa Park -Spent three days there -Hawaii was a really different place -Friend was stationed in Pearl Harbor -Went and visited his friend -Had Thanksgiving Dinner 1967 together -Not allowed to get off the ship at Guam because it was a strategic base -Subic Bay served as hub for ships serving at Yankee Station off the coast of Vietnam -Served as a place to get supplies -Base was near the city of Olongapo -It was a wild and different city -There were bars everywhere and entertainment for sailors and Marines -Decided that he was young and ought to take advantages of the opportunity -First time in a foreign country -Told not to leave the main street in Olongapo -Told not to expect protection from the local police -Told to avoid being alone in the city -Easy to get mugged (00:42:07) Yankee Station -Ship was sent to Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam -Nicknamed the “Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club” -There were two aircraft carriers -Jets flying into Vietnam for bombing missions -Destroyer provided two things: -Pilot recovery if a plane went down in the Gulf of Tonkin -Radar screen -Carriers used their radar to track their own planes -Destroyers watched for incoming enemy aircraft and ships -Spent 21 days on station their first time -Second time was during the Tet Offensive and the USS Pueblo Incident in January 1968 -The carriers had to provide air support to ground forces or go to North Korea -Stayed on station for 32 days -Incredibly tedious �-Had to rendezvous with ships to get refueled and resupplied -Got mail every three or four days to every two weeks -Helicopters from carriers brought mail to the destroyers -Needed to get ammunition resupplied -Helicopters took off casings and a ship brought in fresh ammunition -Provided gunfire support -Meant they supported troops near the demilitarized zone or south of the demilitarized zone -If US troops were under attack the ship sailed to within three miles of the shore to fire -North Vietnamese had the ability to return fire at American ships -Feared getting hit by NVA artillery and being forced overboard (00:50:52) Emergency Leave -Grandmother got very sick, so the Red Cross got Robert emergency leave -He was picked up by a helicopter and taken to an aircraft carrier -Flown to Subic Bay and spent the night there -Flew to Guam, then to Hawaii, then to San Francisco -Went from Chicago to Michigan -Got two weeks of leave -Ship went on gunfire support shortly after he left for emergency leave -Able to attend his grandmother's funeral (00:54:32) Public Opinion of Vietnam War -While he was home on emergency leave he got an idea of what civilians thought of the war -Went to a college party -People asked if he had killed anyone -Wide variety of opinions concerning the war -He noticed a lot of dissent concerning the war -Didn't want to argue with anyone about the war -After the Navy, when he was at college, he only associated with other veterans -Wanted to avoid tension or conflict (00:56:20) Temporary Duty -Sent to Charleston for temporary duty until the USS Robert H. McCard returned -Worked in the laundry room on a ship in Charleston -Pressed clothes all day and enjoyed that duty (00:57:22) Barber Duty on the USS Robert H. McCard -Rejoined the USS Robert H. McCard as a barber -Received two weeks of training -Did that until he left the ship -Very routine since the haircuts were basically all the same -Had a commodore as a regular customer -Had been in the Navy for a long time -Got to know each other fairly well -Had evenings off -Started at 8 AM and worked until 5 PM -Cut the hair of officers and enlisted men -Easy duty -Met and got to know everyone on the ship (01:00:41) Repairs & Shakedown Cruise -Had to go into dry dock for repairs -He helped in the laundry room while the ship got repairs -Once repairs were complete they went on a shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba �-Note: Shakedown cruise is done after a ship gets repairs, insuring repairs held up -Got to see some of the Caribbean islands (01:02:17) Operation Silver Tower -Participated in Operation Silver Tower in the north Atlantic Ocean -Using new radar that made them look like a merchant ship on a radar scope -They also put up lights to make the destroyer look more like a merchant ship -Job was to “infiltrate” the area of operations of other NATO ships -Command wanted to see how well the new radar worked -Sailed to Nova Scotia, to Greenland, then to the North Sea -Operated in the North Sea, undetected, before announcing who they really were -Interesting operation (01:04:25) Repairs in England -A hole formed in the hull so they sailed to Southampton, England for repairs -Spent three days in England -Got to go ashore in Southampton and visit London, twice -People in Southampton were very hospitable toward Americans -Americans were a novelty in London -Saw the Crown Jewels -Visited Piccadilly Circus -Saw the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace (01:05:58) Storm in the Atlantic Ocean -Left England and began sailing across the Atlantic Ocean to return to the United States -Ran into a major storm and had to sail south to avoid it -Wound up near the Azores off the coast of Africa -Ship listed 30 degrees in both directions -Had some leaking because of the force of the storm -Glad to get back to land -He had experienced a storm before when the ship participated in Operation Silver Tower -Sailed through a storm in the North Sea -Storm in the Atlantic was far more powerful though -He didn't get seasick in the storm, and most men didn't either, but a few did (01:08:25) Soviet Presence -Always aware that the Soviets monitored NATO operations -Didn't know the purpose of the operation, but knew they were happening -Some friends in the Baltic Sea told him they encountered Soviet submarines -The submarines didn't attack, but they did make their presence known -Conducted antisubmarine drills to prepare for the possibility of a Soviet attack -Chased around American submarines -Difficult because the American nuclear submarines were faster than the destroyer (01�:10:37) Assignment to the USS New (DD-818) -Returned to the United States and shortly thereafter got reassigned to a different ship -Different jobs became available to enlisted men -Opportunity came up for him to work in ship store records -Sent to Norfolk, Virginia to board the USS New (DD-818) as the ship serviceman clerk -Had to pass a school before joining the crew in that position -As the ship serviceman clerk he took care of three areas: -Accounted for money spent on the ship -Bought goods for the ship -Kept track of duty-free goods (cigarettes and alcohol mostly) �-Sailed down to the Caribbean Sea to pick up alcohol -Each sailor was allowed a gallon of alcohol -Some men didn't drink, but they took their ration anyway to give to other sailors -This led to some sailors having three gallons of alcohol as opposed to one -Cigarettes were only 10 cents a pack -Customs agents came aboard to keep track of how many cases of cigarettes the ship had -Came aboard before the ship left to note how many were on the ship -Came aboard after the ship returned to see how many cases had been sold -If the number they counted didn't match with Robert's ledger there would be problems -If they believed Robert had altered the numbers he could have faced jail time -Worked with an accountant that had worked for the Pillsbury Company -He was very helpful and kept very good records -For the sale of cigarettes it worked something like this: -They left port with a number of cases -Sailors would then buy the cases and Robert kept track of how many he sold -If he sold X number of cases, then Y number of cases needed to remain -Sailors were only allowed to buy duty-free cigarettes once they were at least three miles to sea (01:15:54) Places Visited -Got to go ashore in Hong Kong -Extraordinary city -Went to Tiger Balm Garden -Murals, sculptures, pagoda -There were tailors in the city that could make a good, but inexpensive suit in only 48 hours -Visited the British naval club -Traveled with friends whenever he could -Went to Tiger Balm Garden on his own, but was with a group of tourists -Visited Kaohsiung, Taiwan and went to the British naval club -Huge club with a bar and a casino -By traveling with the Navy he got to experience a lot of new things he otherwise wouldn't have -Went to Montego Bay, Jamaica -Went to the island of Saint Croix in the US Virgin Islands -Spent a week there -Got to go aboard an American submarine -Cut hair for the men on the submarine and they all tipped him a $1 -He had never gotten tips before -Worked in the forward torpedo room -Got to eat dinner and have ice cream with the crew -Had to sign a document that said where he was if something happened to him -Got to go into the periscope room and watch as the sub submerged -All of the hotels on Saint Croix were privately owned -USO gave passes to servicemen so they could stay at the hotels and use the beaches -Remembers going from Christiansted to Frederiksted -On the way, he and his friends passed a place with a gathering of luxury cars -Decided to go in and see what was going on -Got some food from the buffet and a few drinks -One of the guests asked who he was -Simply responded that he worked for the government and was left alone (01:22:56) Treatment of Veterans -There were a lot of times when he didn't get respect as a Vietnam War veteran �-In his hometown he remembers the World War II veterans got respect -Had to wait 45 years for people to finally acknowledge and thank him for his service -Family always respected him for his service, but other people only tolerated that he was a veteran (01:24:27) End of Service -Didn't want to have to go to sea every six or nine months if he stayed in the Navy -Most of the jobs he'd had in the Navy weren't fit for shore duty -Didn't want to be in the Navy Reserve because he still would have had active duty obligations -Couldn't see himself making a career out of the Navy -President Nixon was starting to downsize the military in 1970 -This resulted in men being discharged 90 days earlier than originally planned -He was discharged at the end of February 1970 (01:26:23) Life after the Service -Planned on going to college, getting married, and leaving his service behind him -Met his first wife when he was home on leave -They got engaged when he was still in the Navy -Got married in 1971 -His son was born in 1972 -Wife was always proud of his service -Went to college to study business -Studied at Grand Rapids Junior College (now Community College) for one year -Transferred to Western Michigan University -Graduated from there in 1974 -Worked for Steketee's Department Store -Worked as the assistant buyer for men's ware -Became a sales manager -Worked in boy's ware -Had difficulty making money in that position though -Worked as a manager for a national clothing company -Problem with that job is it required a lot of travel -Got a job in customer service with a local cable company -Worked for them for 26 years -Got a job in inventory control -Worked that job for 20 years then retired (01:30:32) American Legion -Eventually decided to get involved with a veterans' organization -Apprehensive about joining a veterans' organization due to being a Vietnam War veteran -Filled out an application for the American Legion in 2008 -Visited different posts until he discovered Post #258 -Joined American Legion Post #258 in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Only for Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard veterans -Founded in 1922 by World War I veterans -They were sailors and Marines that had served with the French as artillery crews -Befriended some of the men at the post -Became the 2nd vice commander, then 1st vice commander, and finally the commander (01:33:43) Reflections on Servie -Service allowed him to believe in himself -Learned a lot about himself that he didn't know before he joined the Navy -Instilled in him a sense of awareness -Not only did he have responsibilities for himself, but for other people as well � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CransR1895V Title A name given to the resource Crans, Robert K (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Robert Crans was born in Hastings, Michigan on July 8, 1947. He enlisted in the Navy in early 1966 and reported for basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois in June 1966. He served with the deck crew on the USS Lexington (CV-16) in Pensacola, Florida and Corpus Christi, Texas from September 1966 to July 1967. He served aboard the USS Robert H. McCard (DD-822) in the laundry room and in late 1967 was stationed off the coast of Vietnam at Yankee Station supporting the aircraft carriers there. He also served on that ship as a barber and participated in Operation Silver Tower, a NATO exercise involving early stealth technology in the North Sea. The final ship he served on was the USS New (DD-818) as the ship's serviceman clerk. Due to downsizing of the military he was discharged 90 days early in late February 1970. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Crans, Robert K. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-10-29 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a13f2534722dc1ec762c01b83dd6d78d.mp4 762486fd1e4ca41983bdf4e307113cb0 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4a11bf2cac54be1d7d68dac316c54663.pdf b8d7cd41e991bd2d8d6e0d2bb7bc61a5 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Raymond Corrigan World War II 49 minutes 16 seconds (00:00:45) Early Life -Born on June 15, 1924 in Newaygo, Michigan -Grew up in Newaygo -Spent some time in New York and Massachusetts between kindergarten and second grade -Father worked as a carpenter -Had eight brothers and four sisters (00:01:44) Start of War & Enlisting in the Navy -Heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor on the radio the day it happened -Knew about the fighting in Europe and Asia prior to America's entry into the war -When he was 17 years old he wanted to go to Canada to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force -Father forbade him from doing that -Two of his older brothers were already in the armed forces when Pearl Harbor happened -Prompted Raymond to enlist in the Navy when he was 17 years old (00:03:40) Basic Training -Sent to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois for basic training -Received only three weeks of basic training -Note: Normal basic training was at least six to eight weeks -First day of training he received uniforms, shoes, and other basic supplies -Second day of training was spent on introduction to the Navy -Third day of training he and the other recruits did drills on the drill field -Spent nine days of basic training doing kitchen patrol (peeling potatoes, washing dishes, etc.) (00:04:30) USS Cincinnati (CL-6) & Fire Control Division (Training and Service) -At the end of basic training he was sent to Norfolk, Virginia -Sailed from Norfolk to San Juan, Puerto Rico -From Puerto Rico he went to Trinidad where he joined the USS Cincinnati (CL-6), a light cruiser -Eventually served in the Fire Control Division on the Cincinnati -Controlled the aiming of the guns and the torpedoes on the ship -Ship had radar, but not sonar -Started to get Fire Control Division Training when he was on the ship -Had to take exams to qualify for Fire Control Division service -Received some Fire Control Training in Norfolk then returned to the Cincinnati for further training -Learned how to calculate the elevation of the cannons -Patrolled the south Atlantic Ocean looking for German ships and U-Boats -Went to Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean to help defend the Royal Air Force airstrip -Confronted a German ship near the island and forced the crew to abandon ship -Operated in the south Atlantic Ocean until September 1942 -Sailed to Brooklyn Naval Yard and he got 90 hours of leave -At this point his brothers were serving in the Pacific Theater -From Brooklyn Naval Yard they went back on patrol in the south Atlantic -Sailed around South America -Saw an abandoned German “pocket battleship” in Montevideo, Uruguay -Most likely the German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee �-Bought a Luger pistol in Montevideo taken from one of the German crewman -On September 23, 1942 they crossed the Equator -Technically experienced all four seasons in one day (00�:10:59) Brothers' Service -One brother served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet -Raymond was in Fire Control School when the Hornet sank in the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands -Brother was transferred to the USS Iowa (BB-61) -Brother served on Iowa when President Roosevelt went to Cairo and Tehran -Raymond finally caught up with his brother when Raymond was transferred to the Pacific Theater (00�:12:17) Food on the USS Cincinnati -Had coffee and beans for a lot of meals -Had spaghetti occasionally -There was a baker on board that made terrific bread -Officers ate better than the enlisted men (00:13:32) Officers, Enlisted Men, & Friendships -Enlisted men couldn't be friends with the officers -Officers treated the enlisted men well, though -Remembers one time when he was painting an upper part of the ship -An officer called his name and he responded with, “Yeah?” then corrected it to, “Yes, sir?” -Officer told him to get down -Painting the ship was not worth getting killed over -Enlisted men got along well with each other -Went ashore together in Brazil and Uruguay -Crewmen came from all over the United States and were good men -He was one of the younger members of the crew -Befriended a man from Grand Rapids, Michigan -Still friends as of 2016 (00:15:56) USS Cincinnati & Convoy Duty -Escorted convoys from North America to Belfast, Northern Ireland from March-July 1944 -Escorting ships bringing troops and supplies across for the invasion of Europe -There were still U-Boats operating in the north Atlantic Ocean -On one convoy mission he developed appendicitis -While he got the operation the Cincinnati started dropping depth charges -Crew claimed to have sunk three U-Boats -He felt bad for the U-Boat crewmen despite being the enemy -Sailed multiple convoy missions -Celebrated his promotion to Seaman 2nd Class in Belfast (00:19:07) Progress of the War Pt. 1 -No sense of whether the Allies were winning -No radio on the ship -Only news he got was when he went ashore -Knew that the Allies weren't doing well at the beginning of the war -Remembers escorting out the USS Juneau on its shakedown cruise in 1942 -Raymond wanted to transfer to the Juneau -Executive officer refused because he had a feeling the ship would be sunk -Accurate prediction because the Juneau sank in November 1942 -Remembers hearing about the deaths of the Five Sullivan Brothers -Changed protocol for family members serving at the same time �(00:21:23) Reassignment to Pacific Theater -Got reassigned for duty in the Pacific Theater in later 1944 -Remembers that there were some Japanese ships operating in the south Atlantic Ocean -In January 1945 he boarded his new ship in Seattle -Transferred to Washington in 1944 for Advanced Fire Control School -Completed that and got 11 days of leave -During that time he got married -Reported to San Diego because he had orders for the USS Cook Inlet (AVP-36) -While waiting to board the ship he met up with his brother, Tom -Tom served with the Navy at Guadalcanal and ferried Marines to shore during the battle -Orders for the Cook Inlet were canceled and he was sent to Bremerton, Washington to join a new ship -Ship wasn't ready to launch when he arrived -Had his wife come out to Washington and live with him for 30 days -Had Thanksgiving Dinner 1944 together aboard the ship (00:25:15) Deployment & Service in the Pacific Theater -Put to sea and one of the ship's guns misfired near Seattle -Caused by a technical problem which forced them to return to port for repairs -Raymond discovered the misfire was caused by a wiring mistake -Did a test fire and found that Raymond's fix solved the problem -He was promoted to Seaman 1st Class on the spot -Sailed to Guam and then to Saipan -Didn't stop at either island, just sailed near them -From Saipan sailed to Eniwetok -Saw battle damage and abandoned Japanese fortifications on Saipan -Eniwetok was just a big, sandy island -During an air raid alarm he gashed his head trying to get to his battle station -Later got yelled at for not getting to his battle station on time -Sailed to Ulithi -Gathering place for ships to safely refuel and resupply -USS Iowa pulled into Ulithi -Captain allowed him to go aboard the Iowa so he could see his brother -Went ashore at Ulithi and had a beer party -Sailed to Palau to bombard the island -Note: Most likely another island because Palau was liberated by November 1944 -Knocked out a Japanese radar station -American planes bombed the island with napalm -Three miles off the coast of the island -Never attacked by Japanese airplanes (00:32:26) End of the War -In Okinawa when the war ended on August 15, 1945 -Immediately told when word reached Okinawa that Japan surrendered -Heard about the war ending in Europe on May 8, 1945 -Preparing for the invasion of Japan in late summer 1945 -Told that the Japanese would fight to death with basic tools, if necessary -Pulled into Nagasaki in September 1945 after Japan formally surrendered on September 2, 1945 -Drove through the destroyed city in trucks -Nothing standing but melted steel girders -Dead animals and dead people everywhere -Saw some survivors from the surrounding area �-Didn't know about the dangers of radioactive fallout -The men were so glad to have the war over that they didn't think about the cost of victory (00:34:59) End of Service & Coming Home -Offered a promotion to chief if he reenlisted -Declined because he was ready to go home -In late September 1945 he went to Okinawa -Spent three weeks there -Contracted the flu -Last man from Michigan list to be sent home -Boarded the USS Sitkoh Bay (CVE-86), an escort aircraft carrier -Sailed from Okinawa to Manila to Guam and entered Pearl Harbor on October 18, 1945 -Pulled into San Diego, California on October 26, 1945 -Sent up to San Francisco and he took a train back to Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois -Still incredibly sick, but he managed to feign being well -Discharged there -Took a train to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Wife, sister, and brother-in-law greeted him at the train station -Spent the night in Grand Rapids then returned to Newaygo -For years after the war he heard the sound of alarm bells in his head (00:38:22) Reflections on Service -Felt sorry for the Japanese in Nagasaki, but at the same time he didn't -The nature of the war meant they were culpable for the actions of Japan -Felt that the war was a huge waste of human life -Hoped that World War II would have meant the end of war -Less than five years after the end of WWII, the Korean War began in June 1950 -Had two children when the Korean War began -Knew that there was a possibility, although slim, that he would have to go -Service taught him to be a good man and a good friend (00:40:19) Return Trips to Japan -Returned to Japan years after the war on a business trip -Explaining a machine from his company to Japanese workers -Went to Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Kure -A little nervous about meeting with Japanese people as an American -Got along well with the Japanese after a Japanese businessman broke the ice with a joke -Hiroshima was being rebuilt at the time, but there was still a lot of damage -Saw the preserved shadows of people burned onto walls from the bomb's heat -Went to Japan a second time on a second business trip -Brought his wife with him on the second trip -Visited Tokyo -Flew to Hiroshima -Saw Mt. Fuji -Ran into an American soldier who used to live in Newaygo -Friend of Don Corrigan, Raymond's younger brother -Spent a day in Hiroshima with his wife -Gave her an idea of what the war was like -More rebuilt during second trip -He tried to be friendly with the people in the city, and most were friendly in return (00:46:12) Life after War -He is 91 years old as of 2016 and retired at the age of 90 years old �-Had his own electrical trade -Taught his grandsons how to do electrical work -Did residential and some commercial electrical work (00:47:59) Falling Injury -He was on a Fire Control Tower about 90 feet above the water line -While climbing down he missed the first step and fell 30 feet -Fortunately, the only injury he sustained was to one of his heels � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CorriganR1893V Title A name given to the resource Corrigan, Raymond Keith (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Raymond Corrigan was born in Newaygo, Michigan on June 15, 1924. He enlisted in the Navy when he was 17 years old (sometime in 1942). He received basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois and was assigned to the USS Cincinnati (CL-6), a light cruiser. During his time aboard the Cincinnati he received training on the ship and stateside on how to aim and operate the ship's guns as well as went on patrols around the Caribbean Sea and near South America. In 1944 they escorted convoys to Belfast, Ireland in preparation for the Normandy Invasion. In late 1944 he was reassigned to a ship in the Pacific Theater, and in January 1945 they set sail. He was aboard that ship and participated in the pre-invasion bombardment of an island and assembled at Okinawa in preparation for the invasion of Japan. After the atomic bombing and subsequent surrender of Japan the ship pulled into Nagasaki where Raymond saw firsthand the destructive capability of the atom bomb. In late September 1945 he returned to Okinawa and by late October 1945 was back at Great Lakes Naval Station where he was discharged from the Navy. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Corrigan, Raymond Keith Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank (Interviewer) WKTV (Wyoming, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-09-30 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0d3bc190fb0364a98e34d7ae969e5cfb.mp4 e6a74ffc2c530a3eee53105a6234c111 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1a6371fb060feedf3303f42573d1f3b3.pdf 0ae773cdcdd2f24232d685b7d31f2a1a PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project James Cooley Iraq War 43 minutes 39 seconds (00:00:24) Early Life -Born on March 6, 1986 -Grew up in Caledonia, Michigan -Involved in sports in high school (00:00:44) Enlisting in the Army Pt. 1 -Shortly after he turned 17 years old an Army recruiter called him about enlisting -This was in 2003 -Sister had joined the Army six months prior to him turning to 17 -Father served in the Air Force, grandfather in the Marines, and cousins also served in the Army -Patriotic duty, family history of service, and paid-for college encouraged him to enlist (00:01:44) Training -Took basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia in the summer before senior year of high school -Came back home and completed high school after taking basic training -Received Advanced Individual Training after graduating from high school -Completed his AIT and received a month of leave before deploying to Iraq -Basic training was a different experience, but a great experience -Learned how to shoot a rifle, throw grenades, and rappel down walls in basic training -Highly competitive atmosphere during basic training -Didn't know what to expect when he started basic training (00:03:15) First Deployment to Iraq Pt. 1 -On his first deployment to Iraq he worked in transportation -Drove trucks between bases delivering food, supplies, ammunition, and vehicles -Average daytime temperature was around 130o -Body armor and fatigues made it feel like 145o -Hard to breathe outside -A lot of the missions took place at night when the temperature was between 100o and 110o -Had to contend with dust storms and the rainy season -Found that the majority of Iraqis lived in mud huts with tin roofs -There was trash everywhere and civilians formed little villages in the garbage dumps -Made him more grateful to live in the United States -Civilians weren't hostile -Most appreciated the American presence -Insurgents coerced civilians into fighting the Americans -Threatened with their family being executed -Initial mission in Iraq was to depose Saddam Hussein and secure the Iraq/Afghanistan border -Didn't think about the politics of the mission -Just tried to do his job and do the most good as possible -Helped vaccinate Iraqis and provide them with better healthcare and better schools -At the time he was still angry about 9/11 and it was a huge motivator for him as an 18 year old -There was a lot of ambiguity when it came to combat in Iraq -In a convoy they had limited defenses if attacked by Insurgents -Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were a common threat to convoys �-Insurgents used hit-and-run style attacks with rifles and rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) -There were a lot of situations where they had to engage in combat despite not being infantry -Felt nervous on his first convoys, but he grew more confident -Trucks did not have armor on his first deployment -Lined the bottoms of the trucks with sandbags to give them protection against IEDs -If you were running 15 minutes early or 15 minutes late you might avoid an ambush -In that case the Insurgents hit the convoy before his or the one that came after his -Created a sense of invincibility at cheating death -Learned to accept the randomness of death -Easier to accept the prospect of your own death than the death of comrades -Made close friends and they became like brothers -Still friends with them -Has stood at their weddings, spends time with them, and closer than his civilian friends -Found a lot of his stress on his first deployment came from leadership problems -Being ordered to do something you wouldn't have to do if not given an order to do it (00:14:37) Coming Home Pt. 1 -Struggled more with coming home than the actual deployment -Brother was in the same unit as him which made the deployment easier (00:15:11) Deployments -First deployment lasted almost a year -Second deployment lasted nine months -Two years between deployments -On both deployments he went with his brother (00:15:45) Combat in Iraq -Didn't know who the enemy was in Iraq -Combat was similar to the Vietnam War -Had to abide by the Rules of Engagement -Not allowed to fire unless shot at by a combatant holding a weapon and shooting at them -Hesitated to shoot at the enemy -Afraid of accidentally killing a civilian and being sent to jail -Just wanted to defend his convoy and go home alive -Insurgents hid among civilians (00:18:20) Coming Home Pt. 2 -Spent a total of 18 months in Iraq for both deployments -Friends from high school had gone to college, so he had no friends around when he came home -Veteran friends lived all over the country, so it was difficult to connect with them -When in Iraq someone was always ready to do something no matter the time -Civilian friends were busy with their own lives and couldn't meet up at any time (00:19:45) Enlisting in the Army Pt. 2 -Parents were scared, but supported him -Mother signed the paperwork allowing him to enlist as a 17 year old (00:20:10) Second Deployment to Iraq -On his second deployment he was a Detainee Payroll Manager -Gave him experience with computers and he had an associate's degree -Allowed him to get practical job experience for a civilian job -Some men were able to bring skills home while others were not so fortunate (00:22:24) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Pt. 1 -Had mild post traumatic stress disorder -Optimistic personality helped him cope with the PTSD �-Had trouble with heavy drinking every night when he came home -Unhealthy part of his life -Counts himself lucky for overcoming his PTSD -On average, 22 veterans commit suicide every day -Has met veterans struggling with more PTSD (00:23:40) Reenlisting -As of 2015 he is trying to reenlist as an officer -Service related injuries might prohibit from reenlisting though (00:24:00) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Pt. 2 -Moved in with a friend and they had deep conversations about the war and his service -Helped him cope with his PTSD by having those conversations -Speaks at colleges about his time in the Army and in Iraq -Also helps him by talking about his experiences (00:24:53) Changes in the 2000s -Had Myspace, AOL Instant Messenger, email, and letters to communicate with home -Now, soldiers have a wider variety of ways of keeping in touch with family and friends -Realizes that a lot of younger people don't remember the September 11th Attacks (00:25:47) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Learned to take a situation and make it positive -You chose to make the situation positive or negative -A lot of learning opportunities in Iraq -Learning how to control emotions -Learning to make important decisions as a young man -Grew up quickly (00:27:10) First Deployment to Iraq Pt. 2 -Iraq is roughly the size of California -Moved supplies from base to base all over the country -Longest mission was 17 hours of travel without any breaks -Southern Iraq is mostly desert while northern Iraq is more mountainous -Rainy season caused more problems in the north than in the south -Water and oil on the roads made travel hazardous -Difficult driving at night because of sleep deprivation -Caused accidents -Given free Red Bull to help the soldiers stay awake -Had only a few engagements with enemy forces -Convoys were intimidating which kept away enemy forces -Had .50 caliber machine guns and Mark 19 automatic grenade launchers -Truck itself was imposing -At the time they were trying to help look for the sniper al-Zarqawi -Pulled some guard tower duty at bases -Insurgents tried to use drive-by attacks to hit bases -Guard towers lined the roads and each guard tower had a radio in it -Allowed guards to report an enemy vehicle and intercept it down the line -Insurgents were unorganized thugs and untrained civilian conscripts -At first, he feared Iraqi children coming up to him -Learned they weren't a threat and usually just wanted candy from a soldier -Had to be cautious though -Insurgents used women, disabled people, and children as suicide bombers �(00:32:40) Opinion of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria -Feels that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is an abomination -Funded by the sex slave trade -Carries out brutal executions -Could have been snubbed quickly had the U.S. stayed in Iraq -Iraqi government wasn't stable enough to hold off ISIS -U.S. leaving created a power vacuum for ISIS to occupy -Will probably have to send in ground troops to Iraq, again -ISIS will probably not just go away and the longer they exist, the more resilient they'll become (00:34:16) Advice to Future Soldiers -Before you join, pick a job that will give you experience in the civilian workplace -Try to do something that you'll enjoy in the Army, and enjoy as a civilian - Stay positive -In the Army you can gain rank relatively quickly -If you want to go to college first, join the Reserve Officers' Training Corps -Will allow you to enter the Army with the rank of 2nd lieutenant -Have more leadership responsibilities and have more influence -Army needs more officers with experience and good leadership abilities -As experienced officers leave they're being replaced with incompetent officers (00:36:43) Iraqi Civilians -Civilians wanted to help, but were afraid of retaliation from Insurgents -Tried to give soldiers tips whenever possible -A lot of civilians just wanted to live their lives (00:38:15) First Deployment to Iraq Pt. 3 -During the first couple weeks he had trouble staying calm -There were still unsecured cities in 2004/2005 -When he returned to Iraq in 2008/2009 those cities had been secured -At least once a week Insurgents tried to attack bases -Infiltrators, mortar attacks, rocket attacks, or drive-by attacks -Got desensitized to it -Remembers one soldier watching a war movie on his laptop in the middle of the night in the barracks -Quickly instituted a headphone rule at night after that -Slept outside when they were at other bases -No light pollution allowed him to see every star in the sky -Better than sleeping in dirty transit barracks -Slept on the top of the engine compartment to keep warm -Days started with checking the trucks -Made sure the tires and engines were in working order and if they needed any maintenance -Kept the trucks ready to go at a moment's notice -If he had no other duties or no mission to go on then the rest of the day was his (00:42:23) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Doesn't regret joining the Army -Great for him at that point in his life � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CooleyJ1820V Title A name given to the resource Cooley, James Peter (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource James Cooley was born on March 6, 1986 and grew up in Caledonia, Michigan. In 2003 he enlisted in the Army. He received basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and after that Advanced Individual Training. He deployed to Iraq and served with a transportation unit, moving food, ammunition, supplies, and vehicles to bases around the country. He also helped with the distribution of humanitarian aid to Iraqi civilians. After nearly a year he returned to the United States and spent two years in the United States. He redeployed to Iraq and worked as a Detainee Payroll Manager. His first tour was in 2004-2005 and his second tour was in 2008-2009. His enlistment ended after his second tour, but as of 2015 he is trying to reenlist as an officer. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Cooley, James Peter Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Vansuilichem, Michael (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Iraq War, 2003-2011--Personal narratives, American United States. National Guard Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-21 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c93a7175bcbfca7c6c02f983a29c342b.mp4 e0056c23aebeeb82bea88737067b8134 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6f2d9702cae3f1fa324d54fac55be7cb.pdf 5fd54e33924b9c37c10d9f709b416796 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran's History Project Marine Corps Ken Clisso Total Time (00:38:25) Introduction (00:00:10)  Ken Clisso was born May 27th, 1959; he served in the United States Marine Corps from 1982 til 1989 and achieved the rank of Sergeant of the Guard (00:00:21)  Ken went to University of Texas for two years then graduated from Kansas State University (00:01:14)  He had a few friends and neighbors that had been in the Marine Corps; financial reasons pushed him towards the Marine Corps as well- he joined the Marine Corps at the age of 23 (00:02:14) ◦ Ken had multiple family members enter the Marine Corps as well as other branches of service (00:02:47) ◦ The Chief of Detectives in his local police department, Roger Larue, had the biggest impact on why Ken joined the military as he lived across the street from him (00:04:06) ◦ His parents were upset that he decided to choose the military and didn't want him to go in (00:04:57) ▪ Ken entered boot camp on August 18th, 1982 and finished around the 15th of November later that year (00:06:24) ▪ The training consisted of first aid, hand to hand combat, pushups, physical training, swim qualification and equipment training as well (00:07:45) ▪ Ken got to come home for about a week after boot camp and went to Camp Pendleton in California for six weeks of infantry training (00:10:07)  Within six weeks Ken went from PFC to Lance Corporal meritoriously (00:11:35)  He ended up going to Twentynine Palms in the Mojave Desert in California after Camp Pendleton (00:13:00)  Ken went to San Diego for a month and a half for water safety survival instructor training (00:14:27) ◦ The WWII battleship Iowa was being recommissioned and Marines were on board for nuclear security; Ken was hand selected for having done well while in the Marine Corps (00:18:44) ◦ Ken and a few others went through the recommissioning of the Iowa in Pascagoula, Mississippi around April of 1984 (00:19:29) ◦ He got to be involved with a recommissioning ceremony along with George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush (00:20:03) ▪ The first deployment of the Iowa was to the Gulf of Mexico (00:20:55) ▪ The main job was to cruise around the world and show the flag Ken mentions (00:22:00) ▪ Ken mentions all of the places all around the world he has been up until this point in the interview (00:24:16)  Ken said he was pretty well crushed when they got an opportunity to tour the beaches of Normandy (00:26:30)  In the fall of 1984, Ken mentions an instance where four marines were gun downed while in San Salvador, El Salvador; the Iowa was on the � pacific side of Panama- six of the men on the Iowa including Ken were loaded up to stand guard at the embassy (00:31:54) He never imagined he would have to be a part of something like that but mentions that was part of their duty if it ever came up (00:33:11) ◦ To keep in touch, Ken wrote letters to his family while in boot camp (00:33:33) ◦ While overseas, he mainly wrote letters as calling was too expensive (00:34:46) ◦ Sometimes you could go up to three or four weeks without receiving mail but sometimes he would receive up to 25 letters or so at once (00:37:52) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context ClissoK1628V Title A name given to the resource Clisso, Kenneth (Interview outline and video), 2014 Description An account of the resource Ken Clisso was born May 27th, 1959 and served in the United States Marine Corps from 1982 until 1989 and achieved the rank of Sergeant of the Guard. After graduating from Kansas State University Ken joined the Marine Corps for financial reasons and he had a close neighbor who used to serve as well. Ken finished boot camp around the 15th of November of 1982. He went to Camp Pendleton for infantry training and ended up at Twentynine Palms in the Mojave Desert in California afterwards. He was commissioned to the WWII battleship Iowa. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Clisso, Kenneth Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Watson, Liam (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine Corps Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-05-18 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/18f28924511d121fe894d2706e4a669d.mp4 e18ce37c0d04f9ca6e4011569249caae https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/42fa83b4249037a7282ae3c510cd570c.pdf 4b80717860cdbe278126bad57e024cbc PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Dennis Churchill Vietnam War 1 hour 20 minutes 16 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born in 1946 in Benton Harbor, Michigan -Grew up in Spinks Corner near Benton Harbor -Attended Benton Harbor High School -Graduated in 1965 -Father was a mechanic -Served in World War II -Part of the 100th Bombardment Group ("The Bloody 100th") of the 8th Air Force -Worked at a community zoo and helped his father repair cars and farm vehicles (00:02:16) Awareness of the Vietnam War -Knew a draft was coming because of the Vietnam War -Talked to his father about the service and whether he should enlist or wait for the draft -Father felt that Dennis had better opportunities in the Navy or Air Force -Didn't know anything about what was going on in Vietnam -Hadn't paid much attention to it (00:03:24) Enlisting in the Air Force -Zoo closed for the season on Labor Day 1965 -Dennis talked to an Air Force recruiter, Navy recruiter, and Army recruiter -Air Force guaranteed him a position where he could work on aircraft -Enlisted in the Air Force in late September or October 1965 (00:04:07) Basic Training -Left for basic training on November 9, 1965 -Sent to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas in San Antonio, Texas -Even in November it was still hot -Shaved his head before going to basic training, so he could be prepared -Drill instructor noticed and told him that they would cut his hair even shorter -Learned how to march -Taught how to be responsible for your own security and base security -Stayed in dorms and only let in people that knew the password -Password changed daily -Remembers his drill instructor coming to the dorm and asking to be let in -Didn't know the password though, so he kept him out as per orders -Learned about the Air Force's mission -Learned about the ranks in the Air Force -Taught military etiquette for enlisted men and officers -Don't refer to sergeants and other non-commissioned officers as "sir" -Only refer to officers as sir (2nd lieutenant and higher) -A lot of physical training -Weighed 223 pounds when he started training and at the end he weighed 190 pounds -Basic training lasted five weeks -Because he was the heaviest man in his flight, he was made the chow runner -Meant he ran to the mess hall ahead of his flight before every meal �-Alerted the mess hall staff that his flight was coming for a meal -Had only six to ten minutes to eat each meal -Pulled kitchen patrol (KP) duty -He cleaned pots and pans, which was considered the worst job -Peeled potatoes with a short paring knife -Learned to take orders and be disciplined -In retrospect it was probably more difficult than he thought at the time -Had had a lot of freedom as a civilian, and absolutely none as an airman -Adapted to it okay (00:14:10) Technical School -From basic training he went to Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas -Learned about the mechanical aspects of aircraft -Specifically 5 Level Maintenance-turboprop aircraft -He was a 3 Level after technical school, but could rise to 5 Level -Relatively easy -Still had strict guidelines -Had fatigues you wore to school and fatigues you wore for inspection -Ironed your own shirts and pants -Trained by a retired aircraft mechanic -Learned a lot from him -Easier for Dennis than for other men -Able to finish his class work before he left school for the day -Had inspections in the afternoons, twice a week -Kept everything as unused as possible to make inspections as successful as possible -Meant walking on one side of the hall, using one toilet, one urinal, etc. -Cleaned everything by hand and with a toothbrush -Made sure everything was polished -Found the process to be trivial at the time -Learned that it was about being disciplined and following orders without question -Two men got sent to the brig during technical school because they refused to follow orders -Completed technical school in late March or early April 1966 (00:22:48) Stationed at Forbes Air Force Base Pt. 1 -At the end of technical school he received 15 days of leave -Reported to Forbes Air Force Base in Topeka, Kansas -Had C-130s -Dennis worked on those -Had RB-47s (reconnaissance variant of the B-47 Stratojet) -Progressed to 5 Level Maintenance in October (or November) 1967 while at Forbes (00:24:21) Progress of Vietnam War -Remembers men discussing the Vietnam War at his technical school -Remembers one man training to be a lineman -Told Dennis that he (the prospective lineman) would only survive 3 months in Vietnam -Came as a reality check after feeling invincible and almost immortal -Never knew what happened to that man -Didn't fear getting sent to Vietnam -Still had plenty of training to do (00:27:46) Evacuations in the Dominican Republic -Helped at San Isidro Air Base during political unrest in the Dominican Republic -Evacuating people and cargo �-Stationed there for three weeks -One week before he got there, two motorcyclists drove through the base -Gunned down four or five people -Worst living conditions he ever experienced -Had to lock up planes at night -Had to deal with massive, tropical spiders -Loaded aircraft with personnel and cargo and continued to work while planes made runs -Remembers evacuating out of the base with a mix of civilians and soldiers (00:31:42) Stationed at Forbes Air Force Base Pt. 2 -Got involved with the motorcycle club at Forbes Air Force Base -Became the president of the club -Received a safety commendation for improving safety conditions in his area on base (00:31:57) Stationed in England -Did temporary duty (TDY) in England -Felt it was a good experience to be in a country so far removed from the United States -Exposure to an older culture -Flew there in a C-130 -Noisy, but it didn't bother him -Flying across the Atlantic Ocean in a transport plane was interesting -Looked everywhere on the plane to see if it had been taken care of well -Flew from Kansas to Goose Bay, Labrador to Greenland to the Azores to England -Stationed at RAF Mildenhall, England -Helped with paratrooper training exercises in West Germany -Stationed in England from December 1966 to January 1967 -The English people liked American servicemen spending their money -Got to visit London and see #10 Downing Street -Not aware of any anti-war or anti-American sentiments (00:37:02) Stationed in Taiwan -Returned to Forbes Air Force Base and received orders for Taiwan -Realized Taiwan wasn't very far from Vietnam -Given 20 days of leave -Went home and his parents threw him a big party -In retrospect, he believes they didn't think they would ever see him again -Flew from Benton Harbor to Chicago then to Seattle -Given a ticket in Seattle to fly to Tokyo then to Taipei, Taiwan then to Taichung, Taiwan -Stationed at Ching Chuan Kang (CCK) Air Base near Taichung -He was assigned to the tire shop -Disappointing assignment, but worked with good men -He was part of the field maintenance squadron at the base -Had an electronics shop, avionics shop, hydraulics shop -Did general maintenance for aircraft on the base -70% of the personnel and aircraft was American, the other 30% was Nationalist Chinese -Had hospitals -Supply personnel -C-130s -Nationalist Chinese fighter planes -Planes at CCK supported operations in Vietnam -Bringing troops and cargo to bases and outposts in Vietnam -His duty was to repair aircraft tires, or put new tires on the aircraft at the base �(00:44:30) Stationed in Vietnam Pt. 1 -Assigned to Tuy Hoa Air Base in Vietnam -Worked on aircraft sent from bases in the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, etc. -Worked in the tire shop there as well -Stationed in Tuy Hoa in the summer of 1968 for 30 days -Stationed in Tuy Hoa in the fall and winter of 1968 and going into January 1969 -Total days for that stint was 60 days -Assigned to Cam Ranh Bay for 90 days -Tuy Hoa was 75-100 miles north of Cam Ranh Bay -Flew to the Americans bases in Vietnam -Saw some primitive bases essentially in the middle of enemy territory -C-130s couldn't stay on the ground long because they drew too much enemy fire -Remembers being shot at while in a C-130 unloading cargo -Flew to Da Nang, Nha Trang, An Khe, and Pleiku -Took fire on those supply runs -Mostly mortars and small arms fire -On one supply run a mortar hit an engine -Came as a rude awakening -Took fire at Tuy Hoa on a regular basis -Had bunkers close to their living quarters -On his first night there the North Vietnamese mortared the base -Everybody got out of their bunks and ran for the nearest bunker -At Cam Ranh Bay he and a few other men watched as gunships bombarded a nearby hill -Watched as tracer rounds from the guns raked the North Vietnamese emplacements -While at Cam Ranh Bay he was on the recovery crew -Not a bad job -Helped unload planes -Sobering to handle the body bags -Realized that body bags took priority for transport -Learned to view the body bags as cargo, not dead soldiers -Helped maintain an emotional distance -Usually, body bags weighed around 150 pounds -Sometimes they only weighed 25 pounds -Knew that it was only an arm, or a leg that was recovered -Learned to be suspicious of all Vietnamese people, especially ones that worked on the base -Told to watch Vietnamese civilians for any sabotage or intelligence gathering activities -Remembers watching an old man counting his steps to measure the runway (00:59:56) Downtime in Taiwan Pt. 1 -After every temporary duty in Vietnam he received time off -Went to bars in Taichung -Bought a motorcycle in Taiwan and shipped back to the United States in parts (01:00:50) Stationed in Vietnam Pt. 2 -The first time he went to Vietnam he was selected to go -Wrote his parents telling them he was being sent to Vietnam for a little bit -His mother had the local newspaper run an article on his service in Vietnam -Volunteered to go back to Vietnam, twice -Got paid “hazardous duty pay” and didn't have any taxes taken out of his paycheck -Out of his fifteen months at Taiwan, nine of those months were spent in Vietnam �(01:02:46) Downtime in Taiwan Pt. 2 -Didn't leave the island for leave or R&R -Did visit Sun Moon Lake -Scenic resort area in Taiwan (01:03:25) End of Service & Coming Home -Received an early discharge -89 days earlier than expected -Boarded a plane in Taipei and flew to Japan then on to McChord Air Force Base, Washington -Discharged from the Air Force at McChord -Remembers seeing protestors outside of McChord Air Force Base -Didn't know what they were protesting -Learned that younger sister was part of the anti-war movement -Told his parents he was in the United States -Caught a flight from Washington to Chicago -Took off at 10 PM and landed in Chicago around 3 or 4 AM -Stewardess sat next to him for part of the flight and talked to him -Told him that there were hostile anti-war protestors and to expect confrontations -When he landed at Chicago's O'Hare Airport there were anti-war protestors -Possibly Hare Krishna followers -Saying anti-war slogans at him -Ignored their insults and protests -Parents picked him up at the airport and brought him back to Benton Harbor (01:11:16) Life after the War -Tried to blend in with society -Friends talked about the war in a negative light -He agreed that too many people were dying because of the war -Wasn't sure how he felt about the war's mission -Always felt that his friends seemed displeased that he had served in Vietnam -Went to work for the Whirlpool Corporation near Benton Harbor in September 1969 -Coworker made negative remarks to him about Vietnam and his service in Vietnam -Gravitated toward coworkers that were veterans -Had trouble adjusting to the flexibility of civilian life -Still wants things to be in order -Had been offered $7,000 to reenlist in the Air Force, but declined -Wanted to get back to Michigan and his family -Met his wife in October, or November 1969 -Got married in 1970 -Considered reenlisting for the money and the benefits -Wife supported his decision if he decided to reenlist (01:17:46) Reflections on Service -More disciplined -Wants things to be orderly -Respects and views military personnel and veterans in a different way -Know what they went through, and go through being in the military -Part of a long family tradition of military service -Son served in the Air Force for 20 years -Relatives served in the Civil War, World War I, and his father in World War II -Believes there is more respect now for veterans and is happy about that � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context ChurchillD1026V Title A name given to the resource Churchill, Dennis Ray (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Dennis Churchill was born in Benton Harbor, Michigan in 1946. He enlisted in the Air Force in late September, or early October 1965 after graduating from high school in that same year. He received basic training in November 1965 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas and mechanical training at the Technical School at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. He was stationed at Forbes Air Force Base, Kansas and did temporary duty assignments at San Isidro Air Base, Dominican Republic and at RAF Mildenhall, England. He was reassigned to Ching Chuan Kang Air Base near Taichung, Taiwan and while there served multiple temporary duties in Vietnam. While in Vietnam he was stationed at Tuy Hoa Air Base and Cam Ranh Bay and made supply runs to the major American bases in the country. After his time in Vietnam and being stationed in Taiwan he received an early discharge from the Air Force, and was discharged at McChord Air Force Base, Washington in 1969. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Churchill, Dennis Ray Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-12-08 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/01d14694ff786c699b2c046cb44ab322.mp4 b46dfaa53d1a67f4202d1d4d2f5b7526 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/baf1f1f80b5d52425024ae74deaad8cf.pdf b47c911c1a9375155342192d8cec3274 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Hoyt Christensen World War II 42 minutes 14 seconds (00:00:10) Early Life -Born on May 14, 1926 just south of Greenville, Michigan in Montcalm County -Father was a farmer -Mother worked in a silk mill in Belding, Michigan -Father continued to farm during the Great Depression -Mother quit her job to raise the children -Father grew corn, wheat, hay, and oats as his crops -Finished the seventh grade -After completing the seventh grade got a job working on a nearby farm -Went to work at a dairy farm and managed it when he was fifteen years old (00:02:21) Start of the War -Had the radio on when he and the rest of the family heard the news about Pearl Harbor -The start of the war didn’t affect the community immediately -Knew of some neighbors that enlisted in the military shortly after the war began -Hadn’t followed the war in Europe prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor -Thought that the war would be over before he would be old enough to have to fight in it (00:03:19) Getting Drafted and Basic Training -Went to the draft board in May 1944 just days before his eighteenth birthday -Reported to Detroit for his Army physical in August 1944 -Started basic training in November 1944 -Reported to Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas for basic training -Got there by way of troop train -Very slow train ride -Would stop in towns to get food -Camp was located close to Little Rock, Arkansas -Basic training was relatively tough -Training lasted about six weeks -He did better in basic training than some of the men that came from cities did -He had more experience with grueling physical labor due to working on a farm -Discipline and following orders were the main emphasis during basic training -Didn’t have a hard time adjusting to that -Training also consisted of physical training and firearms training -Some of the older men didn’t handle physical training well -Didn’t do well with marksmanship training -Didn’t want to do well with rifle training so that he wouldn’t have to be an infantryman -Army still gave him the designation of being an expert marksman (00:07:28) Deployment to the Pacific Theatre -Sent to Fort Ord, California to wait for deployment -Only spent a week there at the most �-Left California on a troop ship on Friday April 13, 1945 -Voyage took thirty seven days -Travelled with a convoy onboard a Liberty Ship -Didn’t run into any storms during the voyage -A lot of men got seasick -He never got seasick, just lost his appetite for a few days (00:09:23) New Guinea -Landed at Maffin Bay, New Guinea and was sent to the replacement depot there -Got assigned to the 31st Infantry Division -From there went to the islands of Halmahera and Morotai -Encountered limited fighting on those islands -Followed the older more experienced soldiers -Physical conditions on the islands were not good -Had to use local water sources -Usually didn’t have water purification or anti-malaria tablets -Japanese resistance wasn’t too heavy on those islands -His unit’s goal was to mop up the remaining Japanese soldiers that were there (00:12:51) Mindanao, Philippines -After New Guinea they were sent to aid in the liberation of the Philippines -Made an amphibious landing at Davao on Mindanao -Didn’t encounter much resistance on the beach -Japanese had been pushed inland -Worked their way up the length of the Mindanao River searching for the Japanese -Experienced mountainous and swampy terrain -Doesn’t ever recall seeing snakes while on Mindanao -Theorizes that that may have been due to the fighting on the islands -Saw a lot of the native Filipinos while on Mindanao -Lived in bamboos huts -Lived off the land and whatever they could steal or scavenge from the U.S. troops -Employed the natives to be used to carry materials -Got stationed at the Del Monte Pineapple Plantation -Stayed there until the end of the war -While stationed there contracted malaria and dengue fever -Ran a high fever and had terrible joint pains -Basically had to wait for it to pass -Both diseases lasted about two weeks (00:18:15) Encounters with the Japanese Pt. 1 -Some of the Japanese were well defended in built up fortifications on Mindanao -Some of the Japanese were hidden and dug in in the swamp -Japanese snipers used the trees to their advantage and hid out in them -Encountered a few banzai attacks at night -Basically the Japanese would fix bayonets and charge the American position -Usually knew they were coming, but got surprised by one, one night -Used his helmet to cover and suppress the blast of a concussion grenade -Uninjured except for a sore butt from sitting on the helmet during detonation -Only ever took one Japanese prisoner on Mindanao during the course of encountering them �-Had to go up into the mountains when the war ended to tell the Japanese they lost -Only one Japanese soldier believed them and surrendered -The rest were abandoned or attempted to be burned out with flamethrowers -Never encountered a fully-fledged post-war Japanese insurgency (00:22:40) End of the War Pt. 1 -The 31st Infantry Division was sent home after the war ended -He was transferred to an ordinance unit -Made shop foreman on the automotive section of that unit on Mindanao -Had mechanical knowledge and was a sergeant which allowed him to have the position (00:23:47) Relationship with the Filipinos -Filipinos would take whatever they could carry -Didn’t steal from the shop though -Usually they would raid salvage areas for anything that might be of use to them (00:24:51) Downtime on the Philippines -Army supplied them with movies to watch while on Mindanao -Doesn’t ever recall the USO coming to entertain them -Soldiers would play cards and play baseball games -Beer was made available to them by the Army -Discipline was not an issue during the war -After the war soldiers would go into nearby towns and get drunk -Usually led to disciplinary issues that the Army had to resolve (00:26:46) Background of Other Soldiers -Served with men from a variety of different backgrounds in K Company -Large spread of ages (18-50 years old), regions, educational backgrounds -The 31st Infantry Division was a combination of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama National Guard -Led to him serving alongside a lot of rural southern men (00:27:39) Leyte, Philippines -After the war ended, in 1946 he was attached to an Army Engineers outfit on Leyte -Mission was to build roads and infrastructure for the Filipinos -Drove a fuel truck -Provided fuel for the machines that were being used for construction -More Americans were on Leyte than on Mindanao -American soldiers got into trouble with Filipino women pretty frequently -Stayed with the engineering unit for about two months (00:29:48) End of the War Pt. 2 -He left the Philippines on October 17, 1946 -Most Americans had already been withdrawn from the Philippines -There still was a Japanese presence on Leyte -A fair amount of survivors had surrendered to American forces -Japanese were kept in POW camps, but mostly allowed to keep to themselves -Once defeated the Japanese were civil, honest, and friendly to Americans -He trusted the Japanese POWs more than the local Filipinos (00:32:54) Encounters with the Japanese Pt. 2 -At a place called Coogan’s Woods K Company lost about forty percent of their troops -Happened during the surprise banzai attack -The other losses they incurred were from random, sporadic encounters �-Most of the combat encounters happened while they were on patrol in the field -Towards the end of the war the Japanese soldiers he ran into were either very old or very young (00:34:33) Coming Home -Got told one day to pack his bags and report to the airfield -Told that a plane was waiting to take him to Manila -Waited three days and no plane came for him -Returned to base and was told there was a ship waiting in Manila to take him home -Given the option to wait for a plane or take the ship -Decided to take the ship so he wouldn’t have to wait for a plane -Ultimately regretted that decision -Voyage home took seventeen days -En route they ran into a typhoon -Had to stay below decks for about three days -Landed in San Francisco and spent a night there -Took a troop train back to Chicago -Given ten days of leave -Reported back to Fort Sheridan and was discharged from the Army there (00:38:30) Life after the War -Got a job driving trucks -Couldn’t handle driving the long distances to Texas and Florida -Put in an application at the State Hospital -Got a job there and worked there for twenty eight years -Eventually got placed in charge of a ward in the Department of Mental Health -Was able to work his way up and eventually got to a position of authority (00:40:21) Reflections on Service -Had trouble with alcohol when he first got out of the Army -If he had to do it again he would still do it -Glad to be part of a family legacy of veterans -Believes that his military experience did prepare him for the rest of his adult life -No specifics but is sure that it played a part in teaching him how to function as an adult � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context ChristensenH1599V Title A name given to the resource Christensen, Hoyt (Interview outline and video), 2014 Description An account of the resource Hoyt Christensen was born in 1926 in Greenville, Michigan. Prior to his service he left school after the seventh grade and worked on a farm and later at the age of fifteen managed a dairy farm until he was drafted at the age of eighteen in the summer of 1944. In November 1944 he attended basic training at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas. On April 13, 1945 he was sent to New Guinea and was assigned to the 31st Infantry Division. He aided with clearing out the remaining Japanese forces on the islands of Halmahera and Morotai. After that operation his unit was sent to aid in the liberation of the Philippines. His unit landed at Davao on the island of Mindanao where they encountered fierce Japanese resistance. He was stationed on Mindanao until the end of the war and afterwards he was reassigned to an ordinance unit and then on to the island of Leyte where he joined an engineering unit where he drove a fuel truck. On October 17, 1946 he was sent home and was discharged from the Army at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Christensen, Hoyt Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-06-10 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b96b697630424f9dd4a58a306609d3c6.mp4 bf33f91d6ccedfd32e703947e702af94 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/179d07437f4a3b435f085c52c72fd465.pdf b1662da5037402ef5051d9afc9d41e24 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veteran's History Project Vietnam War Timothy Castora Total Time (00:15: Introduction (00:00:20)  Timothy was born on July 3rd, 1949 and served in the Marine Corps in the Vietnam War (00:00:35)  Timothy was born in Highland Park, Michigan (00:00:54)  His oldest brother served in the Air Force (00:01:24) ◦ Timothy was drafted into the services; he says that the Marine Corps Boot Camp was one of the most humbling experiences one can go through (00:01:41) ◦ He mentions that you had to keep your mouth shut during boot camp and do what you were told or else you would pay the consequences (00:02:21) ◦ Other than some time off on Sunday mornings, Timothy mentions that they trained non-stop all throughout the day (00:03:30) ◦ Some men were punished by doing squat-thrusts until they puked or you ran with your rifle (00:03:55) Vietnam (00:04:20)  Timothy landed in Da Nang, Vietnam; from there he was assigned as a radio operator to the 1st Shore Party Battalion 5th Marines (00:04:45)  He directed helicopters on what to do from re-supply to ammo drops and other things as well (00:05:15) ◦ Timothy says that you made friends while you were there but the relationships weren't that deep because you never knew what would happen (00:07:05) ◦ Overall the combat experience was a very emotional thing to go through and is something that you're not prepared for ever (00:07:52) ▪ Timothy was always writing letters to his friends and family and mentions the military would let them write for free (00:08:42) ▪ He went to Australia and Hawaii on his two leaves and mentions there was only a few places to choose from (00:09:47)  Timothy was at home wondering why the United States wasted around 58,000 lives when the war had ended (00:10:42) Back Home (00:10:42)  Timothy mentions his senses were on the highest alert and he was on a sensory overload when he first came home (00:11:02)  Him and a former military buddy were going bowling and hid under the car after the ran over a milk crate thinking it was some destructive weapon (00:11:46) ◦ He mentions that the vets during Vietnam were not treated like those of today- as they were not treated that well at all (00:12:38) ◦ Timothy tried to get back to work as quickly as he could to adjust to civilian life; he wanted to get back into a routine and decided to go back to school (00:13:46) �◦ The biggest lesson Timothy learned was to love the people that love you the most; he mentions he never appreciated his parents until then (00:14:31) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CastoraT1560V Title A name given to the resource Castora, Timothy (Interview outline and video), 2014 Description An account of the resource Timothy Castora was born on July 3rd, 1949 in Highland Park, Michigan. He was drafted into the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He served as a radio operator to the 1st Shore Party Battalion 5th Marines. He directed helicopters on supply drops, ammo drops and medevac services. Timothy came back to the United States wondering why they went to war in the first place and ultimately learned to love those who love you the most from his time in the service. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Castora, Timothy Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Hagan, Sarah (Interviewer) Caledonia High School (Caledonia, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Marine Corps Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-05-10 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0e5656df33a09c1160b1d464f9647b4e.mp4 a78ac31bd1752efd39ed298cbb2cd99e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/57a021fdb9b63e7004c807c8b549e82b.pdf b1d51254f14789901b763c42ebcc562f PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Sam Bush World War II 1 hour 2 minutes 13 seconds (00:00:13) Early Life -Born April 10th, 1925 near Mt. Pleasant Michigan. -Grew up on a farm. -The family bought the farm land and was paying interest. -Father got a job at a sugar company when he was 16. -Left him in charge of the farm. -155 acres. -Graduated high school from St. Louis, Michigan. -Graduated in 1943. -Turned 18 before graduating. -Enlisted in the Navy V5 program on April 1st 1943. -During high school a history teacher was instrumental to following the War. -Learned about the lend-lease program -Heard about the Pearl Harbor attack on the car radio after church. -Did not know where Pearl Harbor was at the time. -WWII gave them a “geography lesson”. -Knew that it was likely he would be drafted. -A neighbor across the road was in the Army. -The V5 program was the Navy air corps. (00:05:00) Navy Flight Training -At that time the Navy had new planes, and so they were slowing down on demand for pilots. -No expectation of a college education for pilot training program. -Told that within 18 months they would be flying. -Graduated from high school on June 3rd, 1943. -Went to Dartmouth College on July 1st, 1943 for the V12 program. -The Navy was attempting to slow down the program. -Didn’t know what to do with new recruits yet. -They received a year’s worth of college education in eight months. -21 college credits worth (with a physics lab). -He realized he could hold his own in a college setting. -Because of that and the GI bill he eventually received his college education. -Notes that he was fortunate to have that opportunity because he is white. -Black recruits would not have been as fortunate. -Dartmouth education is completed and the Navy still isn’t sure what to do with them. -They (Bush and the other new recruits) are sent to an airport ferry station in Lynchburg Virginia. -Planes that were made in Long Island were flown to this airport then ferried across the country. �-Fighter planes, bombers, etc. -It was called “tarmac” duty” -Duties: got the planes started and warmed up, help parking the planes, drove firefighting vehicle in event of a fire. -At that time the employees and pilots were all men. -Spring of 1944 at the time working in Lynchburg, VA. -For a short time they were stationed at the yard in Long Island (00:10:00) -Sent to a boot camp in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn to clean up the barracks. -Encountered the boxer Jack Dempsey there. -After a few weeks they were sent to a polytechnic institute for flight prep. -Met their physical training officer, Johnny Vaught, the noted University of Mississippi football player and football coach. -Thought very highly of him. -At the institute during June of 1944. -Duration of stay lasted about three months. -Prep training consisted of: -Calisthenics for two hours each morning. -Playing sports for two hours, a different sport each week. -Following the training they had a month of home leave. -Despite the fact that he recently passed a prior physical, he was given another physical and told his vision was too far off to stay on as a pilot. -It is suspected that this was their way of cutting back on pilots in training. -He heard from someone that the Merchant Marines were looking for recruits. (00:15:00) Radio School and the Merchant Marines -On the way home he stopped in Detroit to enlist with the Merchant Marines. -They called him a month later. -Heard about the Merchant Marines need for members via radio ads. -Their Officer, Harry Manning, was once the navigator for Amelia Earhart. -Received their basic training. -Basic marching, physical activity, learning who to salute etc. -Chose to take trainings in areas that he had trouble with back at Dartmouth. -Took physics training, as well as radio school training. -Boot camp was at Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. -Radio school was taken at Hoffman Island. -It is a man-made island off the coast of Staten Island. -At that time nets were strung between the various islands to prevent enemy ships from entering. -Nets had to be lowered for ally ships. -Hoffman Island is where immigrants were sent to recoup from their illnesses before entering the country. (00:20:00) -During a week of home leave he went to a friend’s party and met his future wife. -Radio school: learned how to use the radio, how to do repairs, checking batteries in case the generator died, how to repair typewriters, etc. -Coded messages were in numbers. �-Weather messages were in English. -Initially the training program was intended to be nine months long. -However for time constraints it was compacted to five months. -Given time every weekend to go into town to New York City. (00:25:00) -Regrets never stopping to see musical Oklahoma while it was playing in the City. -Finished the training around the 2nd week of July 1945. -Roosevelt claimed intentions to give Merchant Marines war veteran status. -That didn’t happen until 40 years later. -After returning from home leave he was sent to the West Coast. -Shipped out after three days. -He was a radio officer. -Boarded the liberty ship the Heber M. Creel. -The ship was carrying lumber cargo. -While they were crossing the Pacific the bombs were dropped on Japan. -They were somewhere north of the Marshall Islands. -They docked at the Philippines in Samar. -Orders were to unload cargo and prepare for the invasion of Japan. (00:30:00) the Philippines and the Pacific -Now that the War was declared to be over they were in limbo in Manila, Philippines. -Decisions about what to do next wavered. -He took on a more authoritative role. -Their goal changed to act as a troop ship. -They worked to ferry Philippinos to their home islands. -Stopped at 17 various locations in the Philippines. -29 different stops. -Locals were happy to socialize with the Americans. -They were transporting their families, and had money to trade. (00:35:00) -Manila was in ruins. -Locals lived quite poorly in huts. -Scraps that fell through floor fed the livestock. -The hotel was intact. -He was present in 1946 when the Philippines gained their independence. -General McArthur was within viewing distance nearby. -A local movie theater was intact, so they went to the movies. -Merchant Marines are strict with a one year enlistment. -However because of their Army orders they were now enlisted 13 months. (00:40:00) -He was acting as the Junior Radio Officer. -Upon leaving they encountered a category 4 typhoon. -Weather report updates every two hours. -Not much sleep. -Only cold cut sandwiches and coffee. -Captain would trade away some of the supplies for certain things. �-The ship was moving about 10~11 knots. -Had to eat live and onions so much that he refuses to eat it again. -The trip back to the US took 30 days. -At one point the ship ran aground because of a miscommunication. -No real damage to the ship. -Background of the crew was varied. -The man that took care of the cabins was a black man. -Chief Engineer was an old man in his 60s. -First and Second Engineer were younger but too old for military service. (00:45:00) -Captain was a retired “three-striper”. -Second Mate was a professional seaman. -First Mate was from Iowa. -The Purser was Harvard educated. -The crew were average blue collar type Americans. -Didn’t lose power in the Typhoon. -“The ship is as good as her crew”. (00:50:00) -Refusing to change course into the wind was the downfall of another ship. -Admiral Halsey -Returned to the US in August 1946. -Docked in San Francisco, California. -Extremely foggy weather. -He was offered another offer to work for a ship headed to Hawaii. -He refused. Wished to return home after being gone so long. -During his time with the Merchant Marines they stopped at Midway. -One of the crew had appendicitis. -American submarines were looming close by. (00:55:00) -In one situation he facilitated radio communication between two other ships. -Helping to find a Dr. for a different vessel. Life After the Military -Went to Alma College nearby. -They also had the V12 program so it was familiar to them. -For his military training he received a year and a half of college credits. -Finished his degree at Alma College. -Because he was in the Navy he was offered the GI Bill. -However people in the Merchant Marine did not receive the GI Bill. -While in the Philippines he contracted an infection in his ear. -Became a medical issue later. -Merchant Marines records were destroyed in 1972. -Graduated college in January. -There were no jobs available for banking. -Took a job at a bank eventually. -However their policy was to start with janitorial work. �(01:00:00) -At this time he was married and had a child. -Started working there the last day of January, 1949. -Eventually retired 37 years later, to the day. -That bank has now become Chemical Bank. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BushA1902V Title A name given to the resource Bush, Alfred L "Sam" (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Sam Bush was born in 1925 near Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. In 1943, at Dartmouth College, he undertook the Navy’s air corps V12 training program. Initially he spent time in Lynchburg, VA as well as Sheepshead Bay, NY working tarmac duty. In 1944 he was attending flight prep when the military screened him out with a physical exam. Instead he decided to join the Merchant Marines. He undertook basic training at Sheepshead Bay, radio school on Hoffman Island, and physics training. By July 1945 he completed his trainings and became a Junior Radio Officer aboard the Heber M. Creel Liberty Ship. Shortly after the bombing of Japan, they docked in Samar, the Philippines, where they unloaded cargo and transported locals as a troop ship. After enduring a typhoon he returned to the US in August 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bush, Alfred L. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Merchant marine--United States Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-12-01 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a3eaa3aeec405ae6eaca669263421a30.mp4 b182f2533df733a36d687287205e021c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/67605952c9aca8dfb67c80fc334d86eb.pdf cd2a9a81305c04fcc67d757c1fdaab8b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Richard Boland Length of interview: (26:04) (00:20) Early Life      Richard was born on August 2, 1933 in St. Louis, Missouri His father was an attorney and his mother was a stay at home parent o Richard had one brother Before joining the service, he worked in construction and other small jobs during the summer Richard’s brother served in the Korean War in an artillery unit o He received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star When he was 21, he received a commission at the ROTC of Notre Dame University ( he graduated in 1955) o He chose to join the Air force because he wanted to fly as well as serve his country o Even if he decided not to join the military, he feels that he would have been drafted anyway (3:40) Military Life (1955-1958)        Richard’s training lasted for about a year and a half. At the end of the training, he was fit to fly the F-86 Sabre In the beginning, he was sent to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas for basic training. o This training lasted for 6 weeks and had nothing to do with flying In January, 1956, Richard was sent to Bartow Air Base in Florida for flight training o This training lasted for 6 months o After that, he went to Greenville, Mississippi for jet training. During this 6 month training period, they flew the P-33 o Next, he went to Perrin Air Force Base in Sherman, Texas. Here he was trained on the F-86 o Finally, he received advanced weapons training at Panama City, Florida (7:00) Adjusting to life in the military was easy because he was enthusiastic about meeting new people and changing his life A lot of his instructors had flown missions during the Korean War and had a lot to offer in terms of experience Richard had very little experience flying prior to joining the military Tensions with Russia were high when he was in the military �         o It made men nervous knowing that nuclear was a possibility When he was in the service, Richard had a wife and two children o They were able to move with him wherever he went (12:35) Because of his academic background, Richard had a second duty as a financial officer When they flew training missions, each man was alone in the aircraft; however, they flew in formations of up to four aircraft o Ground units would use radar to guide them to a particular target His was a part of the 15th Fighter Interceptor Squadron o The duty of the squadron was to protect their assigned Strategic Air Command base (SAC) in the event of an attack o During this time, the B-47 bomber was being replaced with the B-52 Two of Richard’s close friends in his squadron were killed in Vietnam In their free time, the men in Richard’s squadron played a lot of cards and golf Three days out of the week, the squadron was on alert. This required them to be ready to go airborne in less than five minutes o On one particular occasion, Richard was told that there was an object in the air that was six miles wide and eight miles long. This startled Richard but it ended up being a glitch on the radar (9:12) When Richard got out of the service, he was a 1st lieutenant. After two years in the reserves, he achieved the rank of captain One of the most prominent memories he has if of a time when one of the squadron’s head officers took them to a base in New Mexico o On the way back from the base, they flew in a tight formation 500 feet in the air at a speed of 400mph (20:55) Later Life       When he was out of the service, Richard continued his schooling o He got his master’s degree in accounting from St. Louis University o After he spent ten years in public accounting, Richard went to work for Steelcase where he spent 30 years He got out of the service in 1958 o Since he didn’t see combat, he didn’t have any trouble adjusting to civilian life Richard lost contact with his comrades after 1960 (23:00) He likes the idea of requiring all young men and women serve two years in the military His early adult life taught him to be honest with himself and others Richard’s brother fought in Korea and was wounded in action (camera turns to show his commendations) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BolandR1823V Title A name given to the resource Boland, Richard D (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Richard Boland was born on August 2, 1933 in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Norte Dame University and took part in the ROTC. Upon his graduation in 1955, he joined the United States Air Force and was placed in the 15th Fighter Interceptor Squadron as an F-86 pilot. His squadron was tasked with protecting various Strategic Air Command (SAC) bases throughout the United States. After leaving the air force in 1958, Richard got his master’s degree in accounting from St. Louis University and worked for Steelcase for 30 years. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boland, Richard D. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Irons, Jacob (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Air Force Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-22 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2f5c86699b8da2e2bf7b56d976a449a1.mp4 199a08d1e87fd83e7f9f91c0549435bb https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/046f9d4a770c6b9dfaf2772809d393b4.pdf 4f2f58ab28c33b1962860437da1e1b6b PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Raymond Boisvenue Vietnam War 47 minutes 17 seconds (00:00:21) Early Life -Born in Trenton, Michigan on December 3, 1945 -Small town -Attended a Catholic school for elementary school and went to a public school for high school -Attended Eastern Michigan University -Majored in accounting -Loved accounting after taking a bookkeeping class in high school -Father was from Quebec, Canada -Mother was from Ohio -Had three brothers and one sister -Father worked as a supervisor at The Detroit Edison Company (now DTE Energy) -Mother stayed at home and took care of him and his siblings -Played baseball with friends and ran track & cross country in high school -Ran in college for a year or two, but quit to focus on work and studies (00:03:15) Getting Drafted & the Vietnam War -Got drafted after he graduated from college -Worked for a year and a half before receiving his draft notice -Drafted in 1968 -Vietnam War had been going on for a while when he got drafted -Heard about antiwar sentiments -Had mixed feelings about the war -Went to Detroit for his draft physical -Considered going to Canada, but decided against it (00:04:30) Coming Home Pt. 1 -Coming home from Vietnam wasn't too bad -Left San Francisco early in the morning to fly back to Detroit -Able to avoid protestors -Nobody expressed any negatives sentiments about the war toward him (00:05:50) Basic Training -Received basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky -He was 22 years old while most of the recruits were 18 or 19 years old -Assigned to be a training platoon leader -Did physical training -Had to do a mile run in ten minutes -He had no problem with that -Remembers that he had to help a 300 pound recruit do the run -If that recruit didn't pass, then Raymond didn't pass -If they didn't pass they would have to try until they did (00:07:50) Advanced Infantry Training -Received advanced infantry training in Louisiana -Note: Most likely at Fort Polk -Didn't think that he was fit for combat �(00:08:22) Service in Vietnam Pt. 1 -His degree in accounting helped him get a good job in Vietnam -Had many acquaintances and got along well with the men in his unit -Part of the 9th Infantry Division operating in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam -Originally supposed to go on patrols with the infantry -At the last minute he was offered chance to do administrative work -Handled paperwork for enlisted men in the division (00:09:49) Living Conditions in Vietnam Pt. 1 -Food wasn't too bad -Similar to school lunches -Visited an Air Force base in Vietnam -It was like being in the United States -Had tennis courts, swimming pools, and a large PX (post-exchange: general store) -Couldn't stay too long and didn't want to anyway (00:10:52) Service in Vietnam Pt. 2 -Stationed at Dong Tam -Engineers were building up the base and establishing defenses -Base served as the 9th Infantry Division headquarters -Worked together like a team -Everyone had a duty and did it -Nobody slacked off -His unit performed well in Vietnam -Got eight hours of sleep each night -Had entertainment available to them (00:12:34) Enemy Contact Pt. 1 -North Vietnamese (or Viet Cong) hit the base with rockets every three nights -By the time the second rocket hit everyone would get into bunkers -Didn't know if it would be in the morning, during the day, or at night -Had to be on edge at all times to be prepared for enemy attacks (00:13:42) Service in Vietnam Pt. 3 -Mekong Delta was hot and rainy during the monsoon season -Didn't worry about being wet, because as soon as it stopped the heat would dry their clothes (00:14:32) Arrival in Vietnam -Landed at a base close to Saigon -Note: Most likely Bien Hoa Air Base -Incoming soldiers got off the plane and were replaced with soldiers returning to the United States -Airliner took off as soon as all of the soldiers were on board -Went from Saigon to where he had been assigned -Preferred working wherever administrative duty was available -Sent to a canopy tent to wait for his assignment -Remembers the first foreign creature he saw was a fly (00:16:57) Service in Vietnam Pt. 4 -Dong Tam was close to the city of Tan An in the Mekong Delta -Tour began in late 1968 -Seven or eight men worked in the administrative building -He assigned men to various units within the 9th Infantry Division -Administrative duties consisted of promotions, early discharge, and supply management (00:18:12) Enemy Contact Pt. 2 -Enemy was always around �-Got his haircuts from a Vietnamese barber -One day they found his body outside of the perimeter -He had been shot dead with other Viet Cong militants trying to enter base -People of all ages fought for the Viet Cong (00:18:56) Downtime in Vietnam Pt. 1 -Ran with a major who was an Olympic athlete -Ran on a daily basis -Did foot races with other soldiers -Major always beat him and the other men -Remembers racing against some Vietnamese men -Running five miles from the base to the city -Safe since the major ran with them -Army made sure the area was secure -Protected by helicopters -Vietnamese cheated because they weren't in good enough shape to run against Americans (00:22:32) Enemy Contact Pt. 3 -Rocket attacks were the most intense experience he had in Vietnam -Remembers working near a helipad and there was a rocket attack -He couldn't find cover in a bunker, so he had to hide under nearby metal -Pulled guard duty some nights -Stayed close to the guard hut, but didn't stay in it -Felt like the hut was too much of a target (00:23:43) Downtime in Vietnam Pt. 2 -Stayed busy to keep his mind off of home -A girl from college wrote to him -Served as a morale boost -Race was the most fun he had while he was in Vietnam (00:25:13) Service in Vietnam Pt. 5 -Enjoyed his duty assigning soldiers to certain units in the 9th Infantry Division -Assigned them based on their skills -Didn't like replacing men that had been wounded in action, or killed in action -Worst experience was when Reservists from Hawaii were deployed to Vietnam -None of them had combat experience, or training, but had to be assigned to combat units -High mortality rate amongst these men (00:27:05) Friends in the Army -Major was a good man -Other officers respected the enlisted men -Officers didn't want to be saluted -Nobody paid much attention to rank (00:27:46) Division Dog -Had a dog at Dong Tam -Stray dog had shown up at the base with an injured leg -There was a veterinarian in the division that set the dog's leg -One soldier managed to get the dog awarded a Purple Heart -Served as a morale boost for the men (00:29:37) Enemy Contact Pt. 4 -He arrived later in 1968 after the Tet Offensive in January of that year -Enemy activity had decreased since their ranks had been depleted by the Tet Offensive �(00:30:06) Coming Home Pt. 2 -Various components of the division were being called out of Vietnam -Eventually, the whole division returned to the United States -Handed over control of the base to the South Vietnamese -Sent to a base south of Saigon -Spent a few months there -Muddier -Had a K-9 unit stationed there (00:31:27) Living Conditions in Vietnam -Lived in a two-story housing unit -Long and rectangular -Remembers a mortar hit the housing unit next to his -Fortunately, no one was inside, so nobody got hurt -Had he been in his barracks the mortar may have killed him or at least injured him (00:32:30) Contact with Friends after the War -Tried to reach out to one friend he served with in Vietnam -Friend didn't want to be in touch with anyone he served with -Trying to put the war behind him -One soldier contacted Raymond to thank him for his assignment -Probably saved the man's life (00:33:28) Reflections on Vietnam War -Over 58,000 Americans were killed in the Vietnam War as compared to nearly 4,500 in the Iraq War -Doesn't diminish losses in Iraq, but gives perspective on the two wars in terms of losses (00:33:54) Progress of Vietnam War -Never saw any Vietnamese prisoners of war during his time in Vietnam -Never heard any news about the war -If they heard news, it was usually the same stories over and over -Most newsworthy thing he remembers wasn't connected to the war at all -It was the Detroit Tigers playing in, and winning the 1968 World Series (00:34:57) R&R -Visited Hawaii on R&R -Spent a week in Hawaii -Spent R&R with the girl he wrote -Second date they ever had was in Hawaii -By the end of R&R they were both broke -When he went to Hawaii he had been in all 50 states (00:37:10) Vietnamese Civilians -Treated civilians with suspicion -Civilians were friendly, but the troops always kept an eye on them (00:37:39) Food in Vietnam -Always ate Army food -Had hot meals pretty much during his entire time in Vietnam -Only ate rations once when they were under attack and they weren't that bad (00:38:12) USO Shows -Only saw the Bob Hope Show once -Only stayed a little while because he was too far back and couldn't see the show (00:38:54) Contact with Home -Primary contact with home was with the girl he wrote -Wrote her every day, and she wrote him every day �(00:39:23) Coming Home Pt. 3 -Happy he made it to the end of his tour -Got delayed for two days -Took 24 hours all toll to get back to San Francisco and get out processed -Flew back to Detroit -Went 48 hours without sleep when he came home, but he didn't care -Happy to be home and was running on adrenaline (00:40:24) Rank & Commendations -Achieved the rank of Specialist 5 (similar pay grade to sergeant) -Awarded the Vietnam Service Medal -Received a commendation for helping move the 9th Infantry Division back to the United States (00:40:53) Life after the War -Went to Grand Rapids, Michigan where his girlfriend lived -Stayed at his future brother-in-law's house -Eventually moved in with his future in-laws -Got an accounting job with Seidman & Seidman -Extended his tour in Vietnam by two months -Meant that when he got back to the United States he had less than six months of his enlistment -Allowed him to get discharged as soon as he got back to the United States -Had originally met his wife in college when they worked together at the library -He didn't want to seriously date anyone in college because he knew he'd get drafted -Dated for two or three months, got engaged, and six months later they got married -Had four children and eight grandchildren -Lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan and the nearby suburb of Kentwood, Michigan -Worked with the Franciscans -Part of the Historical Society -Ironic because he wasn't good at history in school -Did that for 20 years -Served on the local draft board for 20 years -Wanted to make sure the right people got drafted if necessary -Defensive capacity after the Vietnam War ended -Note: Draft ended in 1973, but 18 year old men still have to register for the draft -Took up reading and enjoys telling stories about the saints with the Franciscans (00:46:39) Reflections on Service -Taught him that there are different cultures in the world -Cultures are formed based on outside factors and different contexts -Americans need to be aware of these cultures and respect them � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BoisvenueR1838V Title A name given to the resource Boisvenue, Raymond L (Interview outline and video), 2015 Description An account of the resource Raymond Boisvenue was born in Trenton, Michigan on December 3, 1945. He was drafted in 1968 and received basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and advanced infantry training in Louisiana (most likely at Fort Polk). He was deployed to Vietnam in late 1968 where he served at the 9th Infantry Division headquarters at Dong Tam processing paperwork for the division. He was transferred to a base south of Saigon and completed his tour there. Due to extending his tour by two months he was able to be discharged as soon as he landed in San Francisco. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boisvenue, Raymond L. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Southerton, Erica (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-05-22 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3075dfa92f97774a35c76c6eac8cb134.mp4 46adaeaca83a2c595780736b171e2279 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e476d8884f13e9f1dfd5f69b44a2a17c.pdf 604dc92bbf7b25f489cdda8718670b05 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Marvin Besteman Cold War (1950s) 40 minutes 44 seconds (00:00:11) Early Life -Born on June 29, 1934 in Grand Rapids, Michigan -Grew up on the southwest side of Grand Rapids -Family worked in the produce business -Went to the University of Michigan Law School for a few months (00:00:49) Getting Drafted Pt. 1 -Got drafted on November 8, 1956 -Didn't consider enlisting in the Army -Planned on going to college then working in the family produce business (00:01:18) Korean War -Paid a lot of attention to the Korean War -Had always been interested in military history -Had friends that were drafted during the Korean War (00:01:50) Getting Drafted Pt. 2 -Left law school which negated his student deferment -30 days later he received his draft notice -Reported to Grand Rapids then went to Detroit for his initial processing -Sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for further processing -Remembers it was a basic facility that used coal furnaces for heating -Issued a uniform there (00:02:57) Basic Training -Sent to Fort Carson, Colorado for basic training -It was an old base with old buildings -Built in 1942 -Base's construction was completed in January 1942 -Base had just started being active again -Learned how to take orders -Went on long marches -Learned all the basics of being a soldier -What to do, when to do it, and what not to do -Adjusted well to being a soldier -Good learning experience -Wishes he had done two years of college first though -Would have been more mature being older and more educated -Most of the men were not college educated -Only a few men were college graduates -Took various tests -Learned how to use weapons -Basic training lasted eight weeks -Did a week long bivouac in the Colorado wilderness -Contracted pneumonia at the end of it �(00:06:57) Instructing at Fort Carson -His company went to South Korea for occupation duty -He stayed at Fort Carson to recover from pneumonia -Stayed at Fort Carson to help train new recruits (00:07:38) Advanced Infantry Training -Did eight weeks of advanced infantry training at Fort Carson, Colorado -More complicated training and more focused on theory -Worked with more advanced and higher caliber weapons -Learned how to lead soldiers in battle -Trained by tough, old soldiers -World War II and Korean War veterans -Expected you to follow orders -Did a good job as trainers -The orders never seemed logical at the time, but in retrospect they made sense (00:09:16) Company Clerk at Fort Carson -Stayed in Fort Carson, Colorado at the end of advanced infantry training -Asked if he wanted to be the company clerk at Fort Carson and he accepted -He took care of the administrative duties in the company -Where men went, kept track of leaves, morning reports, AWOL soldiers -Kept the company in order and running properly -Most challenging part was learning how to type up paperwork -Stationed there for two months -Got engaged -Planned on getting married and staying in Colorado for duration of enlistment (00�:11:09) Stationed at Patton Barracks -Received orders for Europe -Became the Chief Clerk of Headquarters (HQ) Company of United States Army Europe -Keeping track of personnel for the Army in Europe -He was only a private first class -Interesting and wonderful work -Stationed at Patton Barracks in Heidelberg, West Germany -Got to do some travel in Europe -Used typewriters and paperwork to keep track of personnel, not computers -He used poker chips as a sorting system to keep track of soldiers on duty, on leave, or sick -Hundreds of poker chips -Kept tracks of all of the officers in Europe and the enlisted men in the HQ Company -Reported to the master sergeant of HQ Company -Old soldier (had been in the Army since 1935) and he was tough -Taught Marvin a lot -After the master sergeant he reported to the captain -He controlled passes and rations for everyone -He did favors for the men that showed him respect -Helped him later in the business world -There were always limits as to what he could do, or would do -Some things he could do, but wouldn't do on moral grounds -Helped officers and enlisted men with family problems -Became a sort of unofficial counselor to the men -Enlisted men rotated out a lot, but officers stayed in to develop their careers -Learned how to deal with commissioned officers �-Great learning experience -Understood the chain of command and that he needed to show respect to officers -Had to subtly stand up to officers that were trying to get things done that he couldn't do -He couldn't order them around, but he could influence them in a positive way (00:20:30) Reflections on Service -Taught him how to handle people -Glad he got to serve in the Army -Believes everyone ought to do some kind of service in the military (00:21:13) Cold War -It was very tenuous every day because of the presence of the Soviet Union -Didn't know if (or when) the Soviets would launch a nuclear strike on West Germany -Trained every day to be ready for that possibility -No doubt that there was a Cold War -Heidelberg was the headquarters for the United States Army in Europe -Meant that it was a prime target for a nuclear strike -Lived every day knowing that the city could be bombed (00:23:18) Living in West Germany -After a few months his wife came to West Germany -Lived with a German family in Sandhausen -Town was seven kilometers away from Patton Barracks -Wife worked as a nurse in the Army -She outranked him since she was a commissioned officer -Learning experience -Newly wed in a shared house in a foreign country -The German family was great -The German father of the house had served in the German Army in WWII -Captured 30 days before the end of the war in Europe -Told Marvin about the other side of the war -German son spoke perfect English -German father spoke some English -German mother of the house spoke no English -Even with the language barrier they learned how to communicate with each other -Kept in touch with each other for years after Marvin and his wife left Germany (00:26:22) German Civilians -Some of the Germans showed their dislike, if not hatred, for Americans -They were almost all German teenaged boys that felt this way -German girls liked the American soldiers, so they dated the Americans, not Germans -Someone kept letting the air out of the tires of the family car in Sandhausen -Eventually caught the young German boy in the act of doing that -German father of the house smacked him around a bit for that -Never happened again -The animosity was not politically charged (like neo-Nazis or communists), just personal -Adult Germans didn't appear to feel any animosity toward the American soldiers -Celebrated holidays together and went to community dinners -Germans were hard-working and industrious people -Led to West Germany recovering quickly after WWII -At the house in Sandhausen the family used their backyard as a vegetable garden -Reminded him of the Dutch work ethic that he had grown up with �(00:30:42) War Damage in Europe -Heidelburg was not bombed during the Second World War -Saw remnants of war damage in other parts of West Germany -In 1957 and 1958 there was still a tremendous amount of damage in Italy -Italians approached the war damage in a different way than the Germans -More leisurely (00:32:13) Wife's Army Service -Wife enjoyed her service -Wife worked in the labor and delivery ward of the American hospital in Heidelburg -Hospital was open to Americans and Germans, so she delivered American and German babies -On top of having a higher rank she also made more money than he did (00:32:48) End of Service & Coming Home -Army talked to him for months about reenlisting and becoming a commissioned officer -Wanted to reenlist as a captain, not as a 2nd lieutenant -The Army agreed to that -He tried to push for the rank of captain, or major, but the Army refused -Wife got pregnant near the end of their time in Germany -He decided that he needed to get out of the Army -Wife returned to the United States -Prior to leaving Germany he got appendicitis -Made it home two weeks before his first child's birth (00:35:12) Life after Service -Started to look for a job -Got an opportunity to work for a bank -Interested in going back to college so he could become a teacher -Enjoyed working in banking -Kept getting promoted and decided to stay in banking rather than go back to college -Started off at Michigan National Bank and worked there for 13 years -Ran Southeast National Bank in Florida -Took over a banking operation in New York for 10 years -Moved back to Michigan and ran Sparta State Bank in Sparta, Michigan for 12 years -Retired from there when he was 62 years old -Did some banking work in Washington DC on a committee for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Interview stops at 00:38:28 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BestemanM0096V Title A name given to the resource Besteman, Marvin J (Interview outline and video), 2010 Description An account of the resource Marvin Besteman was born on June 29, 1934 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. On November 8, 1956 he received his draft notice. After being processed in Detroit and at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri he went to Fort Carson, Colorado for basic training. He stayed at Fort Carson to help train recruits then received advanced infantry training there. He stayed at Fort Carson for two months as a company clerk then received orders for Europe. He was stationed at Patton Barracks in Heidelberg, West Germany as the Chief Clerk of Headquarters Company of United States Army Europe and his wife joined him there as an Army nurse at the hospital in Heidelberg. In 1958 he left Germany and then was discharged from the Army. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Besteman, Marvin J. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2010-05-06 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/698fe24b725688a16847343815a96263.mp4 abfc3f08739edaf798cf761591e31929 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/886aa2b623ea2f5a2c6a624433894a04.pdf b2f8e27cc549f5c7c9e559bfb8de7550 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project Norman Beachum World War II 1 hour 34 minutes 36 seconds (00:00:15) Early Life -Born on March 7, 1927 in Union City, Tennessee -Lived in Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee until he was 11 years old -Father worked as a guide at Reelfoot Lake -Had employment during the Great Depression, but it was limited -Moved to Evansville, Indiana -Lived there for three months -Moved to Missouri -Moved to Alton, Illinois -Lived there for six months -Returned to Missouri -Did farm work in Missouri -Father worked as the caretaker of a wealthy man in Evansville -Father did railroad work in Illinois -He was an only child -Had one sister, but she died as a baby -In 1942 the family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan -Briefly attended Union High School -Moved to Muskegon, Michigan when he was 15 or 16 years old (00:04:10) Enlisting in the Navy -Enlisted in the Navy on March 7, 1944 when he turned 17 years old -Youngest that he was allowed to enlist -Father got drafted when he was 37 years old -Enlisted a few days before his father had to report for duty -Father spent the rest of the war working on bases around the United States -Not healthy enough for overseas duty -Sworn in on March 14, 1944 with 500 other recruits in Detroit (00:06:36) Basic Training -Shortly after being sworn in he and the other recruits were assembled in the street -Marched to the train station -Remembers an old couple running a newspaper stand at the train station -Pulled Norman aside and gave him a lot of magazines, comics, and candy bars -All of the cattle cars with bunks were full -He walked down to the Pullman cars and found an empty berth -Got to ride all the way to Spokane, Washington with his own room -Took three days to go from Detroit to Spokane, Washington by way of the Great Northern Route -Took two train engines to get them across the Rocky Mountains -Went from Spokane, Washington back to Farragut Naval Training Station, Idaho -Felt basic training would be an adventure -Lasted 14 weeks -Consisted of marching and following orders -Had a chief petty officer as his training company's commander �-Didn't have any trouble with adjusting to the discipline -Remembers a boxing competition being held -The intended boxer had to drop out, so he was selected to compete -A former professional wrestler in his training company gave him some pointers -After the boxing competition they went to the rifle range -There were 144 men in the training company and only a handful of the Blue Jacket Manuals -The men that shot the best would get their own Blue Jacket Manual -Thumbs were so swollen that someone else had to load his rifle for him -Even with swollen thumbs he shot well enough to win a Blue Jacket Manual -Won the boxing match -Had a lot of trouble with marching -On graduation day his officers had him sit out during the parade because he couldn't keep step -Didn't get into any trouble due to his inability to march (00:14:15) Assignment to USS Cumberland Sound (AV-17) Pt. 1 -Sent to the Navy base in Bremerton, Washington -Missed seeing the famous actress Henry Fonda by only a day -From Bremerton went to Tacoma, Washington -The ship he was scheduled to board was almost ready -Ship was commissioned on August 21, 1944 -He joined the USS Cumberland Sound (AV-17) - “AV” meant “aviation vessel” -Seaplane tender for seaplane pilots -Meant that the seaplane pilots would go out on missions then return to ship at night -His job was to stand watches, do work details, and chip paint because of the salt water -There was a complement of 1,077 men -Had boats to bring the seaplane crews from the ship out to their aircraft -Shakedown cruise was along the West Coast -Sailed down to San Diego where welders came aboard to do minor repairs (00:20:15) Voyage to Hawaii Pt. 1 -Will never forget when the ship departed from San Francisco bound for Hawaii -Believed that he would be one of the casualties of the Pacific Theater -Loved being in the open ocean -Remembers 20 foot swells -When the ship dropped it felt like being weightless -When the ship rose again it felt like you weighed three times your normal weight -When they pulled out of San Francisco he was standing in the chow line -As soon as he got his food he threw up -Only time he got seasick during his time in the Navy (00:23:50) Assignment to USS Cumberland Sound (AV-17) Pt. 2 -Stopped in Long Beach, California -Had liberty in San Diego -Unimpressed by the city -Found it to be dirty and dusty (00:25:46) Voyage to Hawaii Pt. 2 -Sailed from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor -Note: Set sail on October 28, 1944 -Great voyage from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor -The 1st Class Petty Officer he served under was a great man -Career sailor with 20 or 30 years in the Navy �-When they got to Pearl Harbor he gave 50 cents to Norman so he could go ashore on leave (00:27:30) Antiaircraft Ground School -Once the ship arrived at Pearl Harbor Norman was sent to an Antiaircraft Ground School on Oahu -Will never forget driving through the pineapple fields on his way to the base -Enjoyed the school -Woke up to music every morning -Informal -Received a lot of gunnery training -Worked with 20mm antiaircraft guns -Trained with .50 caliber machine guns -Worked on a 40mm gun on the Cumberland Sound before being transferred to the 20mm gun -Shot at tow targets -Tow targets were large, cloth targets towed by aircraft so gunnery crews could train -Every third round was a tracer -Enjoyed that part of training (00:30:10) Visiting Hilo, Hawaii -Went to Hilo, Hawaii for a day of liberty -Virtually nothing to do there except go into the bar and get a drink -Technically, he wasn't old enough to drink, but the Navy didn't mind -Believed that if he was old enough to serve he was old enough to drink -Provided that he didn't get drunk (00:32:25) Stationed at Ulithi Pt. 1 -Anchored in front of the wreck of the USS Arizona before they were underway -Not working with seaplanes on missions at the time -Liberation of the Philippines had begun -Sailed from Pearl Harbor to Eniwetok on December 1 -Note: Stayed at Eniwetok from December 13, 1944 to January 1, 1945 -From Eniwetok sailed to Kwajalein, then to Saipan, then to Guam -Arrived at Ulithi on January 12, 1945 -Could see other islands on the horizon that were 14 miles away -Fleet gathered at Ulithi three times while they anchored there -Could see nothing but ships as far as the eye could see -Anchored off the islet of Mogmog -Three or four acres by a half acre in size -Remembers the fleet building up for the continued liberation of the Philippines -Supposed to be part of it, but his ship's involvement was canceled at the last minute -Briefed on what to expect going into the Philippines -Afraid thinking about going into combat, but disappointed when it didn't happen -Wanted to be part of the force going to help liberate the Philippines -Stayed at Ulithi after the fleet departed for the Philippines -Tendered 36 seaplanes (00:39:47) Downtime at Sea -There was nowhere really to go on Ulithi -Remembers going with a group of men to gather seashells around Mogmog -A shark swam over to the group of men -While the rest of the men ran, he charged at the shark and drove it away -Remembers at Kwajalein a sailor bouncing unexploded shells off of other unexploded shells -Still has no idea what possessed that sailor to do that -One friend wanted to swim from Kwajalein back to the ship �-Mile and a half of swimming -Followed through with the idea and made it back to the ship unharmed -Wasn't much to do to pass the time -Didn't have much free time anyway -Remembers being so tired from sleep deprivation that he almost passed out (00:44:15) Work on the USS Cumberland Sound -Feels that workers like the welders had to do the most work on the ship -Noticed that officers and other men in charge rarely, if ever, got their hands dirty with work (00:45:17) Progress of War in the Pacific -Supposed to take part in the invasion of Iwo Jima, but those orders were canceled -Supposed to take part in the invasion of Okinawa, but those orders were also canceled -By the summer of 1945 the Japanese air force had been virtually wiped out -Had an aircraft carrier anchored next to them while at Eniwetok -Note: USS Cumberland Sound returned to Eniwetok on June 24 -One night, at twilight, a kamikaze hit the carrier -Saw flames leaping into the sky and ordinance exploding from the heat -A second kamikaze hit the airstrip at Parry Island to no effect (00:47:53) End of the War -Sailed up to Okinawa near the end of the war -Note: Ship pulled into Okinawa on August 18, 1945 three days after Japan's surrender -Remembers men discussing the atomic bombs -Sitting topside with a group of men when they received word of Japan's surrender -The other men believed that the end of WWII meant the end of all future conflicts -Norman was unconvinced and believed the U.S. and USSR would be at odds (00:50:38) Occupation Duty in Japan -Sailed up to Japan and arrived at Tokyo Bay on August 28, 1945 -A small Japanese boat guided them into Tokyo Bay along with American minesweepers -Had to make sure Tokyo Bay was clear of mines before the rest of the fleet arrived -Pulled guard duty at night -Feared Japanese extremists would try to attack the ship -The Japanese civilians in Yokosuka and Yokohama were happy that the war was over -Sick of the war and the bombing raids -Went ashore and engaged in some debauchery -Saw a Japanese Imperial Marine still in his uniform -Glared at Norman and his friends -Glad he was with level headed, mature men that decided to avoid confrontation -Remembers a sailor from his ship kicked over a glassware stand just to do it (00:56:43) Assignment to USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) Pt. 1 -Transferred to the USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) -AVP is a U.S. naval hull code for “patrol seaplane tender” or “small seaplane tender” -Sailed to Nagoya, Japan -Not allowed to go into the city -One, small bar the men were allowed to go to -Went to Hong Kong -Stayed there quite a while -Sailed to Shanghai on January 29, 1946 -Sailed through a typhoon near Formosa (Taiwan) -Had to patrol the ship during the storm -Almost capsized �-Small ship of only 83 men -Note: Ship's company was 215 men, but still much smaller than the Cumberland Sound (01:01:05) Stationed at Ulithi Pt. 2 -In Ulithi the fleet was building up for the continued invasion of the Philippines -He was standing on the deck of the Cumberland Sound -Remembers watching as a Polynesian crew rowed its simple canoe out to a burial ground -Forbidden for U.S. servicemen to go to the burial ground -Struck by the contrast of seeing the primitive boat and the massive, industrialized armada -Wishes he could have captured the moment on film -Image that will never leave his mind because it was so poignant (01:04:30) Assignment to USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) Pt. 2 -Went ashore in Hong Kong on the Chinese New Year -It was still a British colony at the time -Wishes that he tried authentic Chinese food instead of British food -Sent up to Shanghai -Sailed through the aforementioned typhoon, but there was no damage done to the ship -Saw the Whangpoo (Huangpu) River -Had to go from his ship to the USS Pine Island to go ashore -Visited the Army-Navy Club -Remembers he and two other men ordering a case of beer and steak & eggs -He only had two beers and the other men drank the rest (01:07:43) Coming Home & End of Service -Returned to Hong Kong and boarded a troopship bound for the United States -Set sail for the U.S. in April 1946 -Stopped at Okinawa and Pearl Harbor on their way back to the United States -Took a couple months to get back to America -Ship was carrying Chinese immigrants moving to the United States -Landed at Treasure Island in San Francisco -Given three days of leave -Returned to Treasure Island and boarded a train bound for Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois -Volunteered for mess duty on the train ride -Got his own bunk in a Pullman car and got to shower daily because he handled food -Remembers seeing wheat growing in Kansas and it was the best sight he'd seen in a while -Discharged on May 23, 1946 (01:11:28) Life after the War Pt. 1 -Went on a date with a girl in June 1946 -On July 25, 1946 they got married -Had nine children -Lost one baby girl -Jobs were available after the war, but as production caught up with demand, the jobs dwindled -Got a job at a foundry as a maintenance man -Worked all week -Worked there for 27 years before he retired -Dusty, dirty, noisy, and hot work -Feels fortunate that none of his five sons had to serve in the Vietnam War (01:15:48) Reflections on Service Pt. 1 -Enjoyed the Navy and considered reenlisting -In a way, the Navy provided him with the money necessary to buy his first home -Played a craps game in Tokyo Bay and won $1700 �-Wired it home and saved it -Used $1000 for his wedding and honeymoon -Used the remaining $700 on a down payment for his first home (01:21:20) Life after the War Pt. 2 -Sold his first house and bought two acres of land and built a house -Moved into the house when it was unfinished, something he'd never do again (01:22:42) Reflections on Service Pt. 2 -Navy provided him with opportunities he would not have had otherwise -For example, made it through the 8th grade as a civilian -After the war took a test at Muskegon Community College -Considered to have the equivalence of a high school education -Could have gone to engineering school on the GI Bill, but needed to work (01:25:00) Life after the War Pt. 3 -Did plumbing work for a while -Went on to work as an electrician until the company went out of business -Worked in a machine shop in Grand Haven, Michigan -Had to look for another job because it didn't provide health insurance -His work experience allowed him to get the job as a multipurpose maintenance man at the foundry (01:28:40) Spirit of Grand Rapids/Talons Out Honor Flight -Went on the May 16, 2015 Spirit of Grand Rapids/Talons Out Honor Flight to Washington DC -Chance to honor and thank veterans for their service -Specifically veterans of WWII and the Korean War -His youngest son went with him, so he got to spend the entire day with his son -Saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier -Had a close friend killed during the liberation of the Philippines -Stood up out of his wheelchair to honor his friend and all the other men that died -Ran into his granddaughter (who lives in Washington DC) -Impressed by the Iwo Jima Memorial and the Korean War Memorial -First time he ever saw the World War Two Memorial or the Air Force Memorial -Flew back to Grand Rapids, Michigan -He and the other veterans were brought to East Kentwood High School -Greeted by thousands of citizens thanking them for their service -Saw a little girl holding a sign that said “FREEDOM” -Really drove home why the Honor Flight was done and what the war was about � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BeachumN1918V Title A name given to the resource Beachum, Norman L (Interview outline and video), 2011 Description An account of the resource Norman Beachum was born in Union City, Tennessee on March 7, 1927. After moving around the country his family settled in Muskegon, Michigan and on his 17th birthday he enlisted in the Navy (March 7, 1944). He took basic training at Farragut Naval Training Station, Idaho and after 14 weeks went to Tacoma, Washington where he joined the USS Cumberland Sound (AV-17), a seaplane tender. They went to sea on October 28, 1944 and sailed to Pearl Harbor where he received antiaircraft training. The ship sailed to Eniwetok, then Kwajalein, then Saipan, then Guam before reaching Ulithi on January 12, 1945. He was stationed at Ulithi until the ship returned to Eniwetok on June 24, 1945. After the war he was aboard the Cumberland Sound during occupation duty in Japan then joined the USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39), a small seaplane tender. He sailed around Japan and China for the remainder of 1945 and into 1946. In early spring 1946 he boarded a troopship in Hong Kong and returned to the United States. He was discharged from the Navy at Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois on May 23, 1946. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Beachum, Norman L. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2011-02-08 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b56006ec58b2c820a44c940938adcc38.mp4 62bd8c620319ec76090554ebea25c04d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0ab7572c5cc8ab7a1e49d5c309c61b4b.pdf ebd668d8c076ee3268a0f58dd47b7cb7 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans' History Project John Baker III Post-Korean War Cold War (00:00:11) Early Life, World War II, and the Korean War -Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1935 -Grew up in Kalamazoo -Remembers ration stamps during World War II -Wasn't too concerned about the war because he was so young -Only ten years old when the war ended -Remembers a lot of young men joining the military -Soldiers from Fort Custer came to Kalamazoo on Friday nights -There was a night club, called “High Club Hollywood” popular with the troops -Some uncles, cousins and his older brother served during the war -He was 15 years old when the Korean War began -Thought about the possibility of getting drafted if the war lasted long enough -Didn't think about the war too much -Got his GED when he entered the Army (00:03:00) Enlisting in the Army -Wanted to get married and was looking for a full-time job -Had a part-time job at a local grocery store, but that wouldn't be good enough to start a family -The mid-1950s were a bad time for employment -Knew that he didn't want to enlist in the Navy -Uncomfortable with being so far from land -Enlisted in the Army with the promise that he and his best friend would serve together -Army didn't make good on that promise -Went into the Army knowing you would get whatever assignment the Army gave you -Signed up for four years -Wanted to get training with roto scrapers and tractor operator training -Planned on working for the township after he got out of the Army -Felt the Army would be good job training -Sent to Detroit for processing and a physical -Enlisted in 1954 (00:07:12) Basic Training -Sent to Camp Chaffee, Arkansas for basic training -Located in the hills and swamps -Terrible for digging foxholes -Had to clear a field of rocks -One drill instructor named Sergeant Pigg was a great instructor -Tough during training, but good to soldiers once the day was done -Remembers one man nicknamed “Sergeant Slaughter” that was in charge of bayonet training -First time that he had ever heard so much profanity, and so much of it directed at him -Feels that R. Lee Ermy's character from Full Metal Jacket is an accurate depiction of drill sergeants -Physical training was difficult for him, but it brought best out of him -Some men couldn't handle the training -They were either held back, discharged, or beaten into submission -Basic training lasted for about a month to a month and a half �(00�:11:47) Specialized Training -Sent to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for specialized training -Learned how to build Bailey bridges -Portable, prefabricated truss bridge designed by the British during WWII -Able to support a tank -Remembers men wanting to go home -Worked with timber trestle bridges -Had to construct one then tear it down -Trained there for a month -Planned on going to a heavy engineering school in West Virginia (00:15:00) Assignment to Alaska -Sent to Fort Lewis, Washington and got assigned to Alaska -Assigned to a machine shop in Alaska -Sailed from Fort Lewis to Alaska -A lot of the men got seasick because they had never been to sea -Nobody ate much during the voyage -Went on a troop transport -Pulled into Whittier, Alaska -Small base of Camp Sullivan -Boarded a train and went to Fairbanks -Assigned to Eielson Air Force Base -Had empty barracks for Army personnel -Arrived in Alaska in May 1954 (00:17:46) Stationed at Eielson Air Force Base -Worked in the machine shop in the Adak Building -Building from Adak moved to Eielson Air Force Base -Had a couple lathes, a small mill, and a lot of basic hand tools -Received almost no machine shop training other than some experience as a civilian -Assigned to be the carpenter in the machine shop -Sergeant agreed to give him a little training, but the rest of it he had to learn on his own -Realized in hindsight how rewarding the work was -Made parts to repair broken items -Had to make parts to modify a 120mm gun -Someone fired a nearby 120mm emplacement and he thought he was dead -Army and the Air Force shared the base -Air Force brought in material the Army needed -Stationed there for two years (00:21:24) Winter & Summer in Alaska -Noticed that the married men had a lot of children -There wasn't much to do during the winter except that -Went on drills during the winter -Went on one bivouac for two weeks during the winter -Had a mobile machine shop truck for use during the bivouac -Meant he could use his electric razor because the tools needed electricity -Shared a tent with five other soldiers -Coldest it got during the winter was -54°F -No problems with frostbite -Army made sure the men had adequate gear for the winter -Dealt with mosquitoes in the summer �-After the summer solstice the sun didn't set for too long at night -Remembers reading the newspaper at 2 AM with sunlight (00:25:42) Downtime in Alaska -Read newspapers and drank 3.2% beer -Spent time with his wife and daughter -There was married housing for sergeants and their wives -Part of a carpool with the other married sergeants and their wives -Wives went to the PX to get food because local shops were too expensive -Resulted in the men having to hitchhike 30 miles home (00:28:52) Cold War -Only focused on what was happening in Alaska -Not in Europe or around the United States -Interested in the jets that flew over Alaska -Jets had 45 minutes to take off and intercept a possible enemy aircraft -Ground personnel had only 30 minutes to react -Aware of the possibility of a Soviet attack -Had procedures to move out of the base quickly -Gathered gear and loaded it onto trucks (00:32:24) Door Incident -There was a door in the machine shop that didn't close properly if it wasn't shut hard enough -The men complained if the door didn't shut because it allowed the wind in -One time John slammed the door shut to insure that it closed all the way -Resulted in a huge sheet of ice falling and breaking his nose (00:33:29) Stationed at Fort Lewis -Sent back to Fort Lewis, Washington -Assigned to work as a truck mechanic -Minimal experience with mechanic work -Only experience he had was from working on cars as boy -Greased trucks, changed their oil, and performed inspections -Lived on the base and off the base -There were more things to do in Washington than in Alaska -Stayed outside of the city -Base was 15 minutes from Tacoma -Wife was pregnant at the time -Work at Fort Lewis was similar to a civilian day job -Didn't have emergency drills for a Soviet attack like in Alaska (00:37:14) End of Service -No encouragement from the Army to reenlist -Disappointed about not getting to continue his machine shop work at Fort Lewis -Got to do different tasks in the Army, but not what he wanted -Thought about reenlisting so he could serve in West Germany with his brother -Reconsidered after thinking about how disappointing the four years had been -Contracted meningitis at the end of his enlistment -Had only two weeks left of his enlistment -Army told his parents to come to Fort Lewis -Thought he wouldn't survive the infection -Spent about two months in the hospital -Friends snuck beer into the hospital for him -Supposed to get discharged on April 15, 1958 �-Meningitis delayed his discharge until June 18, 1958 (00:40:05) Life after the Army -Returned to Kalamazoo, Michigan -Employment opportunities opened up due to machine shop experience -Worked for the Kalamazoo Sled Company -Father worked for them during the Great Depression -Made $1.30 an hour -This is compared to $42 a month in the Army -Army helped with paying for children though -Received $130 a month allowance since he was married and had a child -Worked in a paper mill -Made a career out of working for the Upjohn Company -Attended a trade school -Paid for by the GI Bill (00:43:48) Reflections on Service -Would do a lot of things differently if he did it again -Grew up a lot -Sergeant Pigg made him grow up a lot -Realized that none of the training was dangerous, just uncomfortable at times -Gained practical skills from the Army -While in Alaska he used his new machine shop skills to make candle holders for his wife (00:45:49) Honor Flight -Oldest daughter encouraged him to go on the May 2015 Talons Out Honor Flight -Trip to Washington DC to honor veterans from WWII, Korea, and the postwar era -Overwhelming experience -Worthwhile trip -Day started at 5:30 AM and got back to Michigan at 11 PM -Participated in a big parade and got treated to multiple meals throughout the day -Celebration ended at East Kentwood High School -Greeted and thanked by thousands of people -Once in a lifetime experience � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context BakerJ1916V Title A name given to the resource Baker, John H III (Interview outline and video), 2016 Description An account of the resource John Baker III was born in Kalamzoo, Michigan in 1935. He grew up in Kalamazoo and enlisted in the Army in 1954. John received basic training at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas and engineer training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Upon completion of his training he was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington where he took a ship to Alaska. He was assigned to Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska for two years and worked in the machine shop. Upon completion of duty in Alaska he returned to Fort Lewis, Washington and served for two years as a truck mechanic. At the end of his service he contracted meningitis, and once he recovered from that was discharged from the Army on June 18, 1958. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Baker, John H. III Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-02-05 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8f3f7e8d8b716855bb7d55f9deb9abbf.m4v bea81b94a4fd3d77f6792f423f56ec74 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bbe61ac1090882b5b1630a9a57a064ee.pdf 7068b035c13e1c96833a85fd9a623ac0 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Annemarie Hortman World War II – Civilian Part 1 – 1 hour 56 minutes 24 seconds (00:00:18) Early Life - Rangsdorf -Born in Rangsdorf, Germany, on April 14, 1939 -Mother worked before Annemarie’s birth, but stayed home to care for her -Father served in the Wehrmacht in Italy -Uncle served on the Russian Front and was killed-in-action -Father beat her, because he hated her -It was a relief for him to report for service and go away -Forced her to goosestep like a fascist soldier, and he hit her if she didn’t walk right (00:03:34) Early Life – Ingolstadt -Moved to Ingolstadt (near Munich) when she was a year old and mother was pregnant with brother -Traveled there by train -Remembers the train stopping by a ditch, and the passengers being ordered off the train -Heard an air raid siren -Didn’t know what it meant -Stayed in Ingolstadt until September 1940 -Stayed with her mother and grandmother -Put a blanket in front of the windows at night because of air raids -Never remembers her mother giving the Nazi salute -Remembers a siren at night -Told to put on two pairs of underwear and socks, a winter coat, boots, a hat, and gloves -Mother and grandmother had bag full of important documents and family jewelry -Went to the bomb shelter in Ingolstadt -Built into a hill -Went through an iron door, down a flight of concrete steps into a concrete chamber -There were wooden benches along the walls -Noticed there was no other exit, and started to cry -Then she looked up and saw air vents, which comforted her -Came back to her grandmother’s house after the raid and saw it was fine -Brother was born in Ingolstadt in August 1940 (00:18:40) Early Life – Return to Rangsdorf -Moved into another house when they returned to Rangsdorf -Remembers an old man that was their neighbor -All of the children called him “uncle” and loved him -Lived in a duplex house on the ground floor -Remembers a woman that lived there that her mother instructed her to call “aunt” -She and her brother were never allowed to go too far from the house -Remembers she and her brother breaking their mother’s umbrella by using it like a small boat -The house they lived in belonged to a Nazi officer -The woman they called “aunt” was the officer’s wife -Father came home during this time -The Nazi officer came back, and they never saw him or the “aunt” ever again -Her mother was allowed more food because she had two children �-Father brought home canned fruit from Italy, but didn’t give any of it to the family -He brought it to his mistress instead -Lived in several different houses in Rangsdorf -Only moved personal belongings, never furniture -Moved from cottage to cottage (most likely former vacation homes of wealthy Germans) -Always had the feeling that someone lived there, and there were forbidden rooms -Most likely Jewish citizens hiding in the houses -Stayed in a larger house for one night in the last two years of the war -Stayed with an older man -She and her family lived upstairs (00:32:34) The Fall of Germany Pt. 1 -Russians bombed them day and night -Always going up and down the stairs, stopped bothering to change clothes -Remembers a Russian bomb landing near the house -Adult went upstairs and went outside -She got a bloody nose -Possibly from the concussion -All but that house and one other house survived -The rest of the neighborhood was destroyed -Numerous neighbors killed in that raid -Last major action she remembers of the war (00:38:09) Food in the War -Mother usually bought flour, sugar, and other basic food items -Remembers her younger brother expressing his younger -Knows that some neighbors got extra food -Most likely feeding hidden Jewish citizens -Near the end of the war, resorted to eating beets, dandelions, and wild nuts -The old man they lived with found some fresh tomatoes and gave them to Annemarie’s mother (00:41:45) The Fall of Germany Pt. 2 -In 1945, the war came closer to Rangsdorf -Russians were on the offensive, pushing toward Berlin -Dealt with five or six months of near continuous air raids and bombardment -Starvation was more of a problem for her during the war than direct violence (00:43:03) Russian Occupation -Russians came into Rangsdorf and labeled anything they wanted as “contraband” -Confiscated the “contraband” for themselves -Remembers a Russian soldier choking her, her brother, and her mother -Neighbor got her and her brother away from the soldier -The Russian soldier gave up the intimidation and left -She told her mother that she hated the Russians -Mother told her never to hate anyone just because of their country of origin -Stuck with her her whole life -Also told Annemarie to question why the Russians were so violent -Possibly getting revenge for how Germans treated Russians -She and other children hid in a neighbor’s rabbit cages when Russian soldiers came around -Remembers playing near a bomb shelter -Russian soldier ordered her to get away from it -There was a live bomb near the shelter; soldier didn’t want Annemarie to get hurt -Russians took food from the grocery store �-German men tried to get some boxes of food while a Russian plane strafed them -Mother went down to the grocery store and grabbed a box of food while being shot at -Wound up being a box of candy, not real food like she wanted -Russians came the next day and took everything, even Annemarie’s backpack -One of the Russian soldiers broke a candy bar in half -Gave each half to Annemarie and her brother -Russian soldiers routinely searched their house -Cut open the mattress to look for mattress (00:53:38) Living in Post-War Rangsdorf -Moved into an abandoned villa -Father came home briefly after the war, then visited periodically to steal food -Bringing the stolen food to his mistress in Berlin -Got Annemarie’s mother pregnant -Her mother found out the name and address of the mistress -Confronted the mistress, said she was pregnant, and to leave the father alone -Mistress refused -Moved to another place in Ramsdorf around Christmas 1946 -She and her brother gathered pine branches to give to their mother to make her happy -Father tried to take away the pine branches, but her mother intervened -Mother took the pine branches to Berlin, and traded them for a little food as a Christmas gift -While her father was home, Annemarie got in a fight and lost -She came home from the fight, crying, and her father beat her -Told her to go find the boy, fight him again, and win (which she did) Tape stops here, and starts at (00:00:00) for Part 2, however this is not the “Part 2 disc” (00:00:11) Living in Post-War Ingolstadt -Father visited only to steal food -Mother decided to leave Rangsdorf in 1947 -Moved back to Ingolstadt and stayed with her grandmother (mother’s mother) for a while -Ingolstadt had been bombed, but was in better shape than Rangsdorf -Occupied by American soldiers, not Russian soldiers -Collected coal from trains -She and her brother took a train to Berlin for an adventure -Brother decided they should climb across the bridge’s structure to get over the rail yard -Police officer caught her and her brother at the other side of the bridge -Put them on a bridge back to Rangsdorf (00:05:02) Getting to Ingolstadt -Mother decided they needed to leave Rangsdorf to get away from the father -Went to Berlin and got stopped by German officials -Ordered to return to Rangsdorf -Mother, Annemarie’s infant sister, little brother, and herself started walking on the highway -Remembers sleeping under an overpass -Kept walking and got to the East/West German border -Russian soldiers forbade them from going through the checkpoint -An old German man told them to go off the road, under a bridge, into the woods -Stayed quiet and walked through the woods -Waited for the Russian guard to pass, then they continued -Ate a can of cold soup then passed into West Germany �-Stood at the top of a hill and could still see the Russian checkpoint -Picked up the highway and continued walking until they reached a train station in Bavaria -Mother put them on a train and planned on joining them later -Annemarie and her brother got off the train, but their mother wasn’t there -Red Cross officials cared for them until their mother came back to the train station -Finally boarded a train together and got to Ingolstadt (00:19:50) Interactions with Russian Soldiers -Remembers learning a Russian swear word from watching Russian soldiers trying to ride a bike -They heard her repeating it and told her not to say it because it was a bad word -Some of the Russians spoke limited German -One female Russian soldier taught them how to ask for food from Russian soldiers -Taught them a word that would endear them to the Russians -Showed her that not all of the Russian soldiers were bad (00:22:56) Living in Ingolstadt (Post War) Pt. 1 -Grandfather had everything confiscated by the Nazis, for speaking against Hitler -Lost his home, job, and truck -Sent to an insane asylum, then jail, then used for hard labor -In 1947 he built a new house in Ingolstadt -Grandfather had been a baker, but also made money dealing in scrap metal and scrap clothing -Released from custody after the war -Found his confiscated vehicle in the possession of a Nazi officer -Officer’s mother sold it to him -Officer came home and forced the grandfather to buy it again -By 1947 he had rebuilt his life -They stayed with her grandfather in Ingolstadt -Grandfather had a cow that Annemarie cared for -Built a barn and got a piglet -Insects chewed off the piglet’s ears, so they let it live in the house -Put it back in the barn once it was grown -Someone shot and killed the pig -Grandfather had the meat processed, but she and her family couldn’t eat it (00:32:54) Going to School Pt. 1 -Had only six months of school in Rangsdorf -Lost her hearing due to abscesses in her ears (possibly caused by bomb concussion) -Eventually resolved itself, but never completely regained her hearing (00:36:17) Living in Ingolstadt (Post War) Pt. 2 -Grandfather was self-sufficient and built everything he needed -This included buildings and necessary machines -Step-grandmother was Swiss -People disliked her because she was brutally honest and Swiss -Annemaried liked her step-grandmother because she was good and kind to Annemarie -Had trouble finding an apartment in Ingolstadt due to Germans that fled East Germany -They refused to leave Ingolstadt and returned to East Germany -Mother finally got an apartment in Ingolstadt -Remembers watching motorcycle races -There were a lot of American soldiers in Ingolstadt -Majority of them were good -Some of them were bad and committed rapes -American soldiers gave them food �-Russian soldiers had just thrown food on the ground -Amusement to watch children fight for food -Noticed some economic and social changes happening in Germany -Immediately after the war people had to buy food on credit -Grandfather gave them candy and made his own liquor -The apartment they moved into had been a former soldier’s home (00:48:57) Going to School Pt. 2 -Began going to school normally in Ingolstadt -Forced to speak High German, not Bavarian German -7th grade teacher didn’t like her very much -5th grade teacher liked her and defended her from the 7th / 8th grade teacher -Allowed her to graduate as an 8th grader despite only finishing 7th grade -Went to occupational school -Studied business for one semester, but decided she didn’t like it -Studied engineering, but didn’t complete the course -Got married before she got an engineering job -Thinks the 7th grade teacher may have been a former Nazi officer -Didn’t like Annemarie because she looked Jewish (darker hair, non-Aryan features) Part 2 – 1 hour 52 minutes 34 seconds (00:00:28) Finding a Colt -Right after the war ended they went looking for her paternal grandmother in Rangsdorf -Saw a field of dead soldiers and dead livestock -Found half of a dead soldier -She and her brother wanted their mother to fix him like a doll -Didn’t understand that a human couldn’t be fixed like that -A colt came up to them and started following them -Little brother wanted to keep the horse as a pet -Passed a wooded area and saw six dead German soldiers -Got to the village where the grandmother lived -House was bombed out and abandoned -Mother went inside and found some sugar -Went to an aunt’s apartment and it was bombed out too -Russian soldier came up and demanded the horse -The children refused -Another Russian soldier wanted to make a deal: a can of meat for the horse -Their mother insisted they make the exchange -Mother could read English -Knew it was canned pork from the United States (00:07:08) Finding a German Grenade -In a swamp near Rangsdorf she and some other children found a German hand grenade -Didn’t know what it was and they started playing catch with it -A teenager came up to them and took the grenade -Threw it into the swamp where it exploded (00:08:55) Collecting Apples -She and her brother went to the swamp near Rangsdorf to scavenge for mushrooms -One of Annemarie’s friends came along and told them where they could find apples -Brought them to an abandoned house with an apple orchard �-Filled their bag and began walking home -A Russian soldier wanted an apple, and Annemarie agreed to sell to him -He bought two apples for 20 Deutsche Marks -When she got home her mother told her to never deal with Russian soldiers again (00:12:50) Acting in Ingolstadt -Maternal grandmother and grandfather were divorced, but saw them both in Ingolstadt -Grandmother had been an actress -Got Annemarie involved with acting -She did skits where she played an old woman or another skit where she danced -Started acting when she was 12 years old and did it until she was 17 years old -Performed at beer gardens doing song and dance routines -Remembers dancing with a professional foxtrot dancer -Didn’t know she could keep up with him -Later learned that that dancer had been her grandmother’s dancing partner in the acting days (00:24:23) Meeting Her First Husband -Met her first husband through a gypsy friend -She had been at a move and three boys followed her home, and her friend drove them off -After that incident she was at a dance hall late into the night -Friend’s boyfriend’s friend (an American soldier) offered to drive her home -After that he started pursuing her -The American soldier started visiting her every weekend and writing her letters -Her mother and stepfather grew to like him -Met her first husband in 1957 -At the time she was going to school for engineering and working as a seamstress -Took an engineering test and tried to get a job with Audi -They wanted her, but the quota was filled -Asked her to come back next year, but she got married in that time -One weekend Charlie (the GI) didn’t visit or write her any letters -She worried that he was in trouble -When he showed up she realized she loved him and wanted to marry him (00:35:42) Marriage to First Husband -Made an agreement to live in Germany for a few years then move to the United States -Had a good marriage with Charlie when they lived in Germany -Had a daughter together and they were a happy family (00:37:40) Divorcing First Husband -In 1960 they moved to the United States -He flew back to the US with the Air Force -Annemarie and her daughter flew to New York City then to Pittsburgh -Her in-laws picked her up at Pittsburgh and mother-in-law instantly disliked her -Charlie showed up three days later -She found out that he was going with other women behind Annemarie’s back -Found his wallet and realized he lied about how much money he made -Gave her a meager stipend and spent the rest of his money on mistresses -Found one of his mistress's phone number -Started the divorce process and kicked him out of the house -Called the mistress and said she could have Charlie, because she didn’t want him -Moved into a trailer with her daughter, but couldn’t find a park -Ex mother-in-law had connections and kept Annemarie out of the parks -Found a private park and moved there �-Ex-mother-in-law found out where Annemarie lived -Started sending men to Annemarie to proposition her for sex to harass her -Ex mother-in-law stole Annemarie’s television -Ex mother-in-law started picking up Annemarie’s daughter from the babysitter -Had to go through five babysitters to avoid the woman -Friends advised her to get legal help -Charlie had a powerful lawyer though, stopping Annemarie from taking legal action (00:51:42) Second Marriage -Got tricked into marrying another man -Lived together from 1963 to 1964 -He abused her and her daughter -In spring 1964 she called her parents to get plane tickets to Germany -Returned to Ingolstadt with her daughter -Husband followed them two weeks later -Fortunately they worked opposite shifts in Germany -Met her old friend’s fiance and befriended him -Husband was convinced the fiance was pursuing Annemarie -Her husband tried to slit her throat then started to beat her -He left and she immediately started packing to get out of the house -He came home and punched through the door’s window -She woke up in an ambulance en route to a hospital -Wrote a letter to his boss in the US and got him sent back to the US -He left then sent tickets to her to go to the US -She couldn’t stay in Germany or he would come back -Moved to New York City -Stayed with a cousin for a couple weeks then got a job as a housekeeper for a lawyer Tape starts over at 00:00:00 however the story continues (00:00:04) Living in New York City and Oregon -Worked for the lawyer and cared for his baby girl -She had a terrible diaper rash and Annemarie cured it -Worked for the lawyer for a while until private detectives started coming to the house -Looking for Annemarie on behalf of the second husband -Went out to Oregon to be with an old friend on her wedding day -Friend decided not to get married, but fortunately it got her out of New York City -Did odd jobs and got assistance from welfare (paid for rent and electricity) -Got food from a pantry once a month -Met a couple through a friend -They were good people, had children, and Annemarie’s daughter got along with the children -Couple wanted to move back to Michigan and have Annemarie and her daughter join them -They could live with them (00:08:26) Living in Michigan -Lived with the family from Oregon -Got a job in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as a seamstress -Experienced discrimination for being an immigrant -As a result she befriended other shunned, immigrant workers -Did good work as a seamstress and got a better job �(00:14:33) Marrying Bill Hortman -Met a man named Bill through one of her coworkers -Started dating him, but was worried he would be like her previous husbands -Realized he was a good man -Married Bill Hortman -He taught her how to golf -They had two sons together, and Bill adopted her daughter -Had to get the adoption approval from Charlie -Ex-mother-in-law and her sister showed up demanding that Annemarie come home -To get married to Bill she had to get divorced from her second husband -They had separated, but never gotten a divorce -Told him that she was pregnant and that prompted him to divorce her -He dragged his feet for a while, then began the process -Annemarie told the ex-mother-in-law to leave her alone -Charlie’s mother tried to manipulate her by saying Charlie was in an abusive relationship -Annemarie told her that he could deal with it -Also had to deal with her second husband’s car payments because he couldn’t make them -She had cosigned -Eventually got away from that -Charlie’s mother stopped bothering her after seeing how Annemarie and Bill loved each other -She and Bill fought, but he never held a grudge or followed other women -Bill served in the Marines as an aircraft mechanic in World War II (00:36:57) Relationship with Parents (Adult Life) -Her mother and stepfather started visiting in 1972 -Visited every three or four years -During a visit in 2000 her stepfather had a stroke -Stepfather enjoyed the US and always wanted to stay -Flew stepfather back to Germany for treatment after his stroke for treatment by his doctor -He recovered from the stroke -In 2005 she flew back to Ingolstadt because her stepfather was in bad shape -Her mother took care of him at home -It was wonderful to see her mother in such a loving relationship (00:44:34) Annnemarie’s Biological Father -She never had contact with biological father in her adult life -She has a photo of him from the 1950s -Only keeps it as a part of the family record -Biological father had tried to molest her in Ingolstadt -Grandfather stopped him -Not long after that incident Annemarie’s mother divorced the father -He came back once to try and take her brother -Her brother had lived with him for a few years -He never let him get any gifts from Annemarie or her mother � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context HortmanA1944V2 Title A name given to the resource Hortman, Annemarie (Interview outline and video 2), 2016 Description An account of the resource Annemarie Hortman was born in Rangsdorf, Germany, on April 14, 1939. When she was only a year old she moved to Ingolstadt and stayed there until September 1940. At such a young age and that early in the war she remembers getting off a train during an air raid, and going into a community bomb shelter in Ingolstadt. For the rest of the war, Annemarie lived in Rangsdorf. During the last six months of the war she experienced daily bombings due to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Germany and final push toward Berlin. After Germany’s surrender, she and her family stayed in Rangsdorf during part of the Soviet occupation enduring the random and often arbitrary brutality of the Soviet troops. In 1947, Annemarie, her mother, her brother, and sister fled Rangsdorf on foot and sneaked across the East/West German border. They walked to Ingolstadt where she lived until she got married to an American serviceman. Annemarie and her first husband had a child and moved to the United States in 1960. Due to her husband’s infidelity the first marriage failed, and after moving around the country and a second divorce, she met Bill Hortman and settled down with him in Walker, Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hortman, Annemarie Boettner Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-09-16 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7f557900793211aa7f56c1e7c82cebe7.m4v 358c7facb71e3867489b09e588533994 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d3822c283ef9e881f0436359490972a9.pdf 7068b035c13e1c96833a85fd9a623ac0 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans’ History Project Annemarie Hortman World War II – Civilian Part 1 – 1 hour 56 minutes 24 seconds (00:00:18) Early Life - Rangsdorf -Born in Rangsdorf, Germany, on April 14, 1939 -Mother worked before Annemarie’s birth, but stayed home to care for her -Father served in the Wehrmacht in Italy -Uncle served on the Russian Front and was killed-in-action -Father beat her, because he hated her -It was a relief for him to report for service and go away -Forced her to goosestep like a fascist soldier, and he hit her if she didn’t walk right (00:03:34) Early Life – Ingolstadt -Moved to Ingolstadt (near Munich) when she was a year old and mother was pregnant with brother -Traveled there by train -Remembers the train stopping by a ditch, and the passengers being ordered off the train -Heard an air raid siren -Didn’t know what it meant -Stayed in Ingolstadt until September 1940 -Stayed with her mother and grandmother -Put a blanket in front of the windows at night because of air raids -Never remembers her mother giving the Nazi salute -Remembers a siren at night -Told to put on two pairs of underwear and socks, a winter coat, boots, a hat, and gloves -Mother and grandmother had bag full of important documents and family jewelry -Went to the bomb shelter in Ingolstadt -Built into a hill -Went through an iron door, down a flight of concrete steps into a concrete chamber -There were wooden benches along the walls -Noticed there was no other exit, and started to cry -Then she looked up and saw air vents, which comforted her -Came back to her grandmother’s house after the raid and saw it was fine -Brother was born in Ingolstadt in August 1940 (00:18:40) Early Life – Return to Rangsdorf -Moved into another house when they returned to Rangsdorf -Remembers an old man that was their neighbor -All of the children called him “uncle” and loved him -Lived in a duplex house on the ground floor -Remembers a woman that lived there that her mother instructed her to call “aunt” -She and her brother were never allowed to go too far from the house -Remembers she and her brother breaking their mother’s umbrella by using it like a small boat -The house they lived in belonged to a Nazi officer -The woman they called “aunt” was the officer’s wife -Father came home during this time -The Nazi officer came back, and they never saw him or the “aunt” ever again -Her mother was allowed more food because she had two children �-Father brought home canned fruit from Italy, but didn’t give any of it to the family -He brought it to his mistress instead -Lived in several different houses in Rangsdorf -Only moved personal belongings, never furniture -Moved from cottage to cottage (most likely former vacation homes of wealthy Germans) -Always had the feeling that someone lived there, and there were forbidden rooms -Most likely Jewish citizens hiding in the houses -Stayed in a larger house for one night in the last two years of the war -Stayed with an older man -She and her family lived upstairs (00:32:34) The Fall of Germany Pt. 1 -Russians bombed them day and night -Always going up and down the stairs, stopped bothering to change clothes -Remembers a Russian bomb landing near the house -Adult went upstairs and went outside -She got a bloody nose -Possibly from the concussion -All but that house and one other house survived -The rest of the neighborhood was destroyed -Numerous neighbors killed in that raid -Last major action she remembers of the war (00:38:09) Food in the War -Mother usually bought flour, sugar, and other basic food items -Remembers her younger brother expressing his younger -Knows that some neighbors got extra food -Most likely feeding hidden Jewish citizens -Near the end of the war, resorted to eating beets, dandelions, and wild nuts -The old man they lived with found some fresh tomatoes and gave them to Annemarie’s mother (00:41:45) The Fall of Germany Pt. 2 -In 1945, the war came closer to Rangsdorf -Russians were on the offensive, pushing toward Berlin -Dealt with five or six months of near continuous air raids and bombardment -Starvation was more of a problem for her during the war than direct violence (00:43:03) Russian Occupation -Russians came into Rangsdorf and labeled anything they wanted as “contraband” -Confiscated the “contraband” for themselves -Remembers a Russian soldier choking her, her brother, and her mother -Neighbor got her and her brother away from the soldier -The Russian soldier gave up the intimidation and left -She told her mother that she hated the Russians -Mother told her never to hate anyone just because of their country of origin -Stuck with her her whole life -Also told Annemarie to question why the Russians were so violent -Possibly getting revenge for how Germans treated Russians -She and other children hid in a neighbor’s rabbit cages when Russian soldiers came around -Remembers playing near a bomb shelter -Russian soldier ordered her to get away from it -There was a live bomb near the shelter; soldier didn’t want Annemarie to get hurt -Russians took food from the grocery store �-German men tried to get some boxes of food while a Russian plane strafed them -Mother went down to the grocery store and grabbed a box of food while being shot at -Wound up being a box of candy, not real food like she wanted -Russians came the next day and took everything, even Annemarie’s backpack -One of the Russian soldiers broke a candy bar in half -Gave each half to Annemarie and her brother -Russian soldiers routinely searched their house -Cut open the mattress to look for mattress (00:53:38) Living in Post-War Rangsdorf -Moved into an abandoned villa -Father came home briefly after the war, then visited periodically to steal food -Bringing the stolen food to his mistress in Berlin -Got Annemarie’s mother pregnant -Her mother found out the name and address of the mistress -Confronted the mistress, said she was pregnant, and to leave the father alone -Mistress refused -Moved to another place in Ramsdorf around Christmas 1946 -She and her brother gathered pine branches to give to their mother to make her happy -Father tried to take away the pine branches, but her mother intervened -Mother took the pine branches to Berlin, and traded them for a little food as a Christmas gift -While her father was home, Annemarie got in a fight and lost -She came home from the fight, crying, and her father beat her -Told her to go find the boy, fight him again, and win (which she did) Tape stops here, and starts at (00:00:00) for Part 2, however this is not the “Part 2 disc” (00:00:11) Living in Post-War Ingolstadt -Father visited only to steal food -Mother decided to leave Rangsdorf in 1947 -Moved back to Ingolstadt and stayed with her grandmother (mother’s mother) for a while -Ingolstadt had been bombed, but was in better shape than Rangsdorf -Occupied by American soldiers, not Russian soldiers -Collected coal from trains -She and her brother took a train to Berlin for an adventure -Brother decided they should climb across the bridge’s structure to get over the rail yard -Police officer caught her and her brother at the other side of the bridge -Put them on a bridge back to Rangsdorf (00:05:02) Getting to Ingolstadt -Mother decided they needed to leave Rangsdorf to get away from the father -Went to Berlin and got stopped by German officials -Ordered to return to Rangsdorf -Mother, Annemarie’s infant sister, little brother, and herself started walking on the highway -Remembers sleeping under an overpass -Kept walking and got to the East/West German border -Russian soldiers forbade them from going through the checkpoint -An old German man told them to go off the road, under a bridge, into the woods -Stayed quiet and walked through the woods -Waited for the Russian guard to pass, then they continued -Ate a can of cold soup then passed into West Germany �-Stood at the top of a hill and could still see the Russian checkpoint -Picked up the highway and continued walking until they reached a train station in Bavaria -Mother put them on a train and planned on joining them later -Annemarie and her brother got off the train, but their mother wasn’t there -Red Cross officials cared for them until their mother came back to the train station -Finally boarded a train together and got to Ingolstadt (00:19:50) Interactions with Russian Soldiers -Remembers learning a Russian swear word from watching Russian soldiers trying to ride a bike -They heard her repeating it and told her not to say it because it was a bad word -Some of the Russians spoke limited German -One female Russian soldier taught them how to ask for food from Russian soldiers -Taught them a word that would endear them to the Russians -Showed her that not all of the Russian soldiers were bad (00:22:56) Living in Ingolstadt (Post War) Pt. 1 -Grandfather had everything confiscated by the Nazis, for speaking against Hitler -Lost his home, job, and truck -Sent to an insane asylum, then jail, then used for hard labor -In 1947 he built a new house in Ingolstadt -Grandfather had been a baker, but also made money dealing in scrap metal and scrap clothing -Released from custody after the war -Found his confiscated vehicle in the possession of a Nazi officer -Officer’s mother sold it to him -Officer came home and forced the grandfather to buy it again -By 1947 he had rebuilt his life -They stayed with her grandfather in Ingolstadt -Grandfather had a cow that Annemarie cared for -Built a barn and got a piglet -Insects chewed off the piglet’s ears, so they let it live in the house -Put it back in the barn once it was grown -Someone shot and killed the pig -Grandfather had the meat processed, but she and her family couldn’t eat it (00:32:54) Going to School Pt. 1 -Had only six months of school in Rangsdorf -Lost her hearing due to abscesses in her ears (possibly caused by bomb concussion) -Eventually resolved itself, but never completely regained her hearing (00:36:17) Living in Ingolstadt (Post War) Pt. 2 -Grandfather was self-sufficient and built everything he needed -This included buildings and necessary machines -Step-grandmother was Swiss -People disliked her because she was brutally honest and Swiss -Annemaried liked her step-grandmother because she was good and kind to Annemarie -Had trouble finding an apartment in Ingolstadt due to Germans that fled East Germany -They refused to leave Ingolstadt and returned to East Germany -Mother finally got an apartment in Ingolstadt -Remembers watching motorcycle races -There were a lot of American soldiers in Ingolstadt -Majority of them were good -Some of them were bad and committed rapes -American soldiers gave them food �-Russian soldiers had just thrown food on the ground -Amusement to watch children fight for food -Noticed some economic and social changes happening in Germany -Immediately after the war people had to buy food on credit -Grandfather gave them candy and made his own liquor -The apartment they moved into had been a former soldier’s home (00:48:57) Going to School Pt. 2 -Began going to school normally in Ingolstadt -Forced to speak High German, not Bavarian German -7th grade teacher didn’t like her very much -5th grade teacher liked her and defended her from the 7th / 8th grade teacher -Allowed her to graduate as an 8th grader despite only finishing 7th grade -Went to occupational school -Studied business for one semester, but decided she didn’t like it -Studied engineering, but didn’t complete the course -Got married before she got an engineering job -Thinks the 7th grade teacher may have been a former Nazi officer -Didn’t like Annemarie because she looked Jewish (darker hair, non-Aryan features) Part 2 – 1 hour 52 minutes 34 seconds (00:00:28) Finding a Colt -Right after the war ended they went looking for her paternal grandmother in Rangsdorf -Saw a field of dead soldiers and dead livestock -Found half of a dead soldier -She and her brother wanted their mother to fix him like a doll -Didn’t understand that a human couldn’t be fixed like that -A colt came up to them and started following them -Little brother wanted to keep the horse as a pet -Passed a wooded area and saw six dead German soldiers -Got to the village where the grandmother lived -House was bombed out and abandoned -Mother went inside and found some sugar -Went to an aunt’s apartment and it was bombed out too -Russian soldier came up and demanded the horse -The children refused -Another Russian soldier wanted to make a deal: a can of meat for the horse -Their mother insisted they make the exchange -Mother could read English -Knew it was canned pork from the United States (00:07:08) Finding a German Grenade -In a swamp near Rangsdorf she and some other children found a German hand grenade -Didn’t know what it was and they started playing catch with it -A teenager came up to them and took the grenade -Threw it into the swamp where it exploded (00:08:55) Collecting Apples -She and her brother went to the swamp near Rangsdorf to scavenge for mushrooms -One of Annemarie’s friends came along and told them where they could find apples -Brought them to an abandoned house with an apple orchard �-Filled their bag and began walking home -A Russian soldier wanted an apple, and Annemarie agreed to sell to him -He bought two apples for 20 Deutsche Marks -When she got home her mother told her to never deal with Russian soldiers again (00:12:50) Acting in Ingolstadt -Maternal grandmother and grandfather were divorced, but saw them both in Ingolstadt -Grandmother had been an actress -Got Annemarie involved with acting -She did skits where she played an old woman or another skit where she danced -Started acting when she was 12 years old and did it until she was 17 years old -Performed at beer gardens doing song and dance routines -Remembers dancing with a professional foxtrot dancer -Didn’t know she could keep up with him -Later learned that that dancer had been her grandmother’s dancing partner in the acting days (00:24:23) Meeting Her First Husband -Met her first husband through a gypsy friend -She had been at a move and three boys followed her home, and her friend drove them off -After that incident she was at a dance hall late into the night -Friend’s boyfriend’s friend (an American soldier) offered to drive her home -After that he started pursuing her -The American soldier started visiting her every weekend and writing her letters -Her mother and stepfather grew to like him -Met her first husband in 1957 -At the time she was going to school for engineering and working as a seamstress -Took an engineering test and tried to get a job with Audi -They wanted her, but the quota was filled -Asked her to come back next year, but she got married in that time -One weekend Charlie (the GI) didn’t visit or write her any letters -She worried that he was in trouble -When he showed up she realized she loved him and wanted to marry him (00:35:42) Marriage to First Husband -Made an agreement to live in Germany for a few years then move to the United States -Had a good marriage with Charlie when they lived in Germany -Had a daughter together and they were a happy family (00:37:40) Divorcing First Husband -In 1960 they moved to the United States -He flew back to the US with the Air Force -Annemarie and her daughter flew to New York City then to Pittsburgh -Her in-laws picked her up at Pittsburgh and mother-in-law instantly disliked her -Charlie showed up three days later -She found out that he was going with other women behind Annemarie’s back -Found his wallet and realized he lied about how much money he made -Gave her a meager stipend and spent the rest of his money on mistresses -Found one of his mistress's phone number -Started the divorce process and kicked him out of the house -Called the mistress and said she could have Charlie, because she didn’t want him -Moved into a trailer with her daughter, but couldn’t find a park -Ex mother-in-law had connections and kept Annemarie out of the parks -Found a private park and moved there �-Ex-mother-in-law found out where Annemarie lived -Started sending men to Annemarie to proposition her for sex to harass her -Ex mother-in-law stole Annemarie’s television -Ex mother-in-law started picking up Annemarie’s daughter from the babysitter -Had to go through five babysitters to avoid the woman -Friends advised her to get legal help -Charlie had a powerful lawyer though, stopping Annemarie from taking legal action (00:51:42) Second Marriage -Got tricked into marrying another man -Lived together from 1963 to 1964 -He abused her and her daughter -In spring 1964 she called her parents to get plane tickets to Germany -Returned to Ingolstadt with her daughter -Husband followed them two weeks later -Fortunately they worked opposite shifts in Germany -Met her old friend’s fiance and befriended him -Husband was convinced the fiance was pursuing Annemarie -Her husband tried to slit her throat then started to beat her -He left and she immediately started packing to get out of the house -He came home and punched through the door’s window -She woke up in an ambulance en route to a hospital -Wrote a letter to his boss in the US and got him sent back to the US -He left then sent tickets to her to go to the US -She couldn’t stay in Germany or he would come back -Moved to New York City -Stayed with a cousin for a couple weeks then got a job as a housekeeper for a lawyer Tape starts over at 00:00:00 however the story continues (00:00:04) Living in New York City and Oregon -Worked for the lawyer and cared for his baby girl -She had a terrible diaper rash and Annemarie cured it -Worked for the lawyer for a while until private detectives started coming to the house -Looking for Annemarie on behalf of the second husband -Went out to Oregon to be with an old friend on her wedding day -Friend decided not to get married, but fortunately it got her out of New York City -Did odd jobs and got assistance from welfare (paid for rent and electricity) -Got food from a pantry once a month -Met a couple through a friend -They were good people, had children, and Annemarie’s daughter got along with the children -Couple wanted to move back to Michigan and have Annemarie and her daughter join them -They could live with them (00:08:26) Living in Michigan -Lived with the family from Oregon -Got a job in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as a seamstress -Experienced discrimination for being an immigrant -As a result she befriended other shunned, immigrant workers -Did good work as a seamstress and got a better job �(00:14:33) Marrying Bill Hortman -Met a man named Bill through one of her coworkers -Started dating him, but was worried he would be like her previous husbands -Realized he was a good man -Married Bill Hortman -He taught her how to golf -They had two sons together, and Bill adopted her daughter -Had to get the adoption approval from Charlie -Ex-mother-in-law and her sister showed up demanding that Annemarie come home -To get married to Bill she had to get divorced from her second husband -They had separated, but never gotten a divorce -Told him that she was pregnant and that prompted him to divorce her -He dragged his feet for a while, then began the process -Annemarie told the ex-mother-in-law to leave her alone -Charlie’s mother tried to manipulate her by saying Charlie was in an abusive relationship -Annemarie told her that he could deal with it -Also had to deal with her second husband’s car payments because he couldn’t make them -She had cosigned -Eventually got away from that -Charlie’s mother stopped bothering her after seeing how Annemarie and Bill loved each other -She and Bill fought, but he never held a grudge or followed other women -Bill served in the Marines as an aircraft mechanic in World War II (00:36:57) Relationship with Parents (Adult Life) -Her mother and stepfather started visiting in 1972 -Visited every three or four years -During a visit in 2000 her stepfather had a stroke -Stepfather enjoyed the US and always wanted to stay -Flew stepfather back to Germany for treatment after his stroke for treatment by his doctor -He recovered from the stroke -In 2005 she flew back to Ingolstadt because her stepfather was in bad shape -Her mother took care of him at home -It was wonderful to see her mother in such a loving relationship (00:44:34) Annnemarie’s Biological Father -She never had contact with biological father in her adult life -She has a photo of him from the 1950s -Only keeps it as a part of the family record -Biological father had tried to molest her in Ingolstadt -Grandfather stopped him -Not long after that incident Annemarie’s mother divorced the father -He came back once to try and take her brother -Her brother had lived with him for a few years -He never let him get any gifts from Annemarie or her mother � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context HortmanA1944V1 Title A name given to the resource Hortman, Annemarie (Interview outline and video 1), 2016 Description An account of the resource Annemarie Hortman was born in Rangsdorf, Germany, on April 14, 1939. When she was only a year old she moved to Ingolstadt and stayed there until September 1940. At such a young age and that early in the war she remembers getting off a train during an air raid, and going into a community bomb shelter in Ingolstadt. For the rest of the war, Annemarie lived in Rangsdorf. During the last six months of the war she experienced daily bombings due to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Germany and final push toward Berlin. After Germany’s surrender, she and her family stayed in Rangsdorf during part of the Soviet occupation enduring the random and often arbitrary brutality of the Soviet troops. In 1947, Annemarie, her mother, her brother, and sister fled Rangsdorf on foot and sneaked across the East/West German border. They walked to Ingolstadt where she lived until she got married to an American serviceman. Annemarie and her first husband had a child and moved to the United States in 1960. Due to her husband’s infidelity the first marriage failed, and after moving around the country and a second divorce, she met Bill Hortman and settled down with him in Walker, Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Hortman, Annemarie Boettner Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Other veterans & civilians--Personal narratives, American Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2016-09-16 Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3ab106ea64c374957817dbacde2f002d.mp4 0ce8d6b5f6dfee3c3c54b103fcf51c1e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4ae4cf1d790726392e24b16fc1921d20.mp4 b150f2bdf7fc420cac284c15a8fc4914 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6261a87d91672b29eca26c13480b5176.mp4 b8f7ec8a1aa17b738e4938eaa74c1b99 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/22f4920ddbc47736ac2225964129cdb0.mp4 7e132bc229e648a6957111377b97fad6 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7cf7e2bfa9eb165fb40f1a00007d42be.mp4 fb0f4b448493ee166dca867e903ecd80 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f2c46a49f5b59819a606ce8e2f65acf3.mp4 6a75bd5231089f246b01a5a1ded4fdcd https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c731253a8b60d625f4460943ec8684d0.mp4 5bb546abb3c7996141d480641a73c0ed https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8cc8f2f5831abfd54df0e066f42d74d8.mp4 43ca73b5fb41dcdced866b19a96fb4f1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7d184f7833f46ed26d88b6b72488931f.pdf 3bd49ef7fa6dab5adda171ba273e21f1 PDF Text Text RHC-88 Fei Hu Films Flying Tigers Interview Interviewee: “Tiger” Wang Date of interview: March 19, 1991 Transcriber: Tingyang Lewis Liu Transcribed: June 13, 1991 Note: Interview is conducted in Chinese. The transcript is a translation into English. Not all interview questions may be audible. INTERVIEWER: Before AVG, before Chen a De came, what's your background? What's your position in China Air Force? Where did you get your training? Where did you go to school? Like these stuff. TIGER WANG: I learned things about the air force in Canton. This is all right. I learned things about the air force in Canton. INTERVIEWER: O.K. Let's begin. This is the first question. The first question is "What's your background? Where did you get your training? Where did you go to school?" TIGER WANG: This is something about aviation. We only talk about things in aviation. INTERVIEWER: Right, Where did you get your training in aviation? TIGER WANG: Where did I get my training? That, of course, I have been trained in Soviet Union. I may say that the beginning class was in China. We, in Canton, when we were in Canton City, the consultants were Germans. There were Germany consultants. At that time, I was in Canton Aviation School. The Canton Aviation School was established by Dr. Sun Yat Sen himself. In China, there were two most important leader for the development of China Air Force. I can say without any hold back that, without these two leaders I don't know. I am afraid that there won't be China Air Force. The first one was our Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the second one was the late president Chiang Kai-Shek. Right after the success of Chinese revolution, he established the Wang Pu Military School in Canton. The Wang Pu School..., I was a Wang Pu first-class student. I was only 18 years old when I went to Wang Pu for the entrance test. Wang Pu School was established by Dr. Sun Yat Sen and the late president Mr. Chiang. I may say that the establishment of our Wang -Pu School was very important for the success of Chinese Revolution, we were in a very important position. Then, who established the Wang Pu School? It was Dr. Sun Yat Sen. Who 1 �was the principal? It was the late president Mr. Chiang. It was them. Not long after we graduated from the Wang Pu School, Dr. Sun and the late president Mr. Chiang established another school again. They thought that it would be if we battled only by the Army in the future. Air Force would become very important for the future wars. So, not because we as students want to praise our own teachers, the development of the military forces were done by Dr. Sun and the late President. After graduating, they want us Wang Pu student went to learn how to fly A plan immediately. At that time, the first class of Canton Aviation School had only 10 students, Dr. Sun said that Aviation School's students have to be in the Air Force. Then, who was the one that took responsibility for this school at that time? It was the late President. However, we established the Aviation School. There were only several old planes when we got the school. Very few instructors were Chinese; at that time, all the Chinese instructors learned how to fly in foreign countries. So Dr. Sun invited Germans; he let Germans run this school. There were three Germans then: one was the principal named Yang-Er-Ti?, a German. All these people had taken part in World War I. Flying instructor was Fong?, Gram,? a German, who also participated the World War I himself. At that time, we cannot called it "the Air Force" because there were only a few planes. The other was a mechanic named Ligers? All these were German names, right? All of them were Germans. So, it was German that help in establishing the Canton Aviation School, the principal was a German, the flying instructor was a German, the mechanic was also a German. There were only 10 students in the first class of the Aviation School, only ten. Dr. Sun encouraged us that students from Wang Pu School will be the first priority for this school. So that, we, as students in Wang Pu School. So the first class students of the Aviation School were all came from Wang Pu School except two Koreans. I thought that it will be interesting to have Koreans here. Why there were Koreans in a Chinese aviation school? Because at that time, Korea was occupied by Japanese. Japanese occupied Korea so that Korean's cannot have their own aviation schools. Not only this, they were not allowed to own airplanes. Because Korea was occupied by Japanese, the Japanese would not allow Korean to learn things about air force, they would not agree to do it. So, in the students of the first class of the aviation school, Dr. Sun accepted two Korean. We can tell from these places that he was really a great person. Dr. Sun not only started Chinese Revolution, Wasn't Korea a colony then? He treated other people just like he treated his own people. So, when established the aviation school, there were ten students in total. Dr. Sun have us Chinese sent eight students and kept two positions for Korean's. We should tell the world how great a person Dr. Sun was. So the 2 �Chinese aviation school as well as military school were both set up by Dr. Sun while the late President Mr. Chiang were in charge. The aviation school was established by Dr. Sun and the principal was Mr. Chiang. We can say that the Chinese Revolution. How China can take the responsibility for revolution, one was because Dr. Sun Yat-sun, the other was the late President Chiang Kai-Shek. Without these two leaders, we dare not say what would be the result of the restore of China's power and glory. Why I want to talk about all these events? For Chinese Revolution, no matter it was for military, air force, navy, especially for air force, all were established by these two leaders. I believe that there won't be any other country in the world has the same thing regarding these events. So, if without these two leaders, we cannot make sure that whether the Chinese Revolution will be succeeded. I dare not say and cannot say Whether or not we can keep the Republic of China in Today's status. So, when we talk about the events about China's military, no matter it's army, especially air force, navy, all were created by Dr. Sun and run by the late President Mr. Chiang. He, the late President Mr. Chiang completed the order of Dr. Sun, so that there are Chinese Army, especially Air Force, and Navy today. Without these two leaders, I dare not say that the Chinese military forces will in the same status as today. So, when talk about big events of China, especially the armed forces that restore the nation's power and glory, we can say it was Dr. Sun that created them all, and the one who completed his order and great ambitions was the late President. Therefore, they were not only leaders for revolution, the were leaders for the country. When we mention, when we discuss in today, no matter what kind of military forces, we must understand that the it were Dr. Sun and the late President who first created, promoted, and got it done. I believe I hope that not only Chinese that must understand, those countries that were either treated us friendly or unfriendly will all understand. INTERVIEWER: In 1937, when Japanese invaded China, what's the situation of the Air Force? What's the situation of Chinese Air Force? Was there an air force or not? TIGER WANG: Have a little bit. Are you talking about the Chinese Defensive War? INTERVIEWER: (Man) Yes. Chinese Defensive War in 1937. TIGER WANG: The development of Chinese Air Force was somewhat late, but the procedure of our development was not fall behind. We Chinese Air Force. Not because I was an official in the Air Force to say good words about it, the Chinese Air Force, after establishing, never fall 3 �behind. Of course it was pretty difficult to establish the Chinese Air Force. First of all, we need aviation industry, which we did not have at that time. Second, we need aviators. There were not so many of them at that moment, either. It was not that simple to develop the air force or aviation. One must be very good in industry, have lots of talented people in aviation, it never been easy. So, it was very tough for Chinese Air Force on the road to develop, to restore; it was very tough. But, what the Air Force learned were not fall behind. I did not mean that we take our very limited amount of plans to compare with the United States, with Germany in the very beginning. We just cannot do this. Why I said that we were not fall behind was according to the leaders, the people in the Air Force, and the training procedures, namely, the procedure to train the aviator. We may say that in these events, we were not only not fall behind, we were much better than that. Although we cannot compare our planes with those highly developed countries, that demands a good aviation industry. Our aviation industrial techniques was not so good, this required both money and men of ability, especially talents as leaders. I may say that it was Dr. Sun Yat Sen that created the Air Force, later, the late President Mr. Chiang developed, promoted, and established the Air Force. Today's Air Force was established by Mr. Chiang himself, this should be aware by everybody. It was, of course, not that easy when we try to develop, to build up. We did not have even basic aviation industry, in addition, we cannot train our own aviators by ourselves when we first started to develop. Most of our experienced people got their training in other countries, in Great British, in Germany, and in French. As long as we want to develop something, especially something important, we Chinese have to learn it from others. Particularly from the U.S. Air Force, I dare to say, in the development of Chinese Air Force, the U.S. Air Force were the most helpful. My student said, his instructor in the Air Force was also an American, and the American consultant helped him to become an aviator. Therefore, Chinese Air Force was assisted by American in every aspect, like people, equipment, etc. I can say that without a friend like America, the Chinese Air Force cannot develop so fast like we do today. INTERVIEWER: When the Defensive War began, I mean, when the Defensive War began in 1937, how was the Chinese Air Force's ability in fighting? How many planes did we have? How many aviators? What's the battle capability? TIGER WANG: I can say, I can say strictly, and I think that my students will agree with me that we got lots of help from other countries in developing Chinese Air Force. Without the help from all these friendly 4 �countries in giving us training, etc., it would not be so fast in our development. I can say, we did not fall behind as we started to develop. In the skill part, we did not fall behind in the skill. It was truth that we cannot compare with those countries like America, Germany in the instruments and equipment, but, in the usage of these equipment, in how to learn those abilities that related to the air force, we Chinese, I dare to say, were not fall behind. When talk about the planes, the equipment, we were far behind those developed countries. Our planes, our Air Force had a very important relationship with the U.S. I can say, we Chinese Air Force, if without American people, equipment, and other things that related to the air force to help us, I am afraid that our development., It would not be that smooth on the road of development. So, the America to us, the relationship between our Air Force and the U.S. Air Force were very close. I can say that without the help form America in air force, we will encounter many difficulties when try to develop. INTERVIEWER: This is very important. But what we want to know now is, when General Chen a De came to China.... INTERVIEWER: (Man) You have to give this question to General Wang first, because General Wang… INTERVIEWER: Today we are going to ask some personal questions, for example, you and General Chen a De, what your opinion about Chen a De, these questions, all right? What is your suggestion? This will be better. INTERVIEWER: When did you…O.K. TIGER WANG: Go ahead, go ahead. INTERVIEWER: Under what situation did you first meet General Chen a De? TIGER WANG: Me? INTERVIEWER: Unhn, when you met General Chen a De for the first time. TIGER WANG: Chen a De came here as an advisor in the beginning. INTERVIEWER: (Man) Yes. He was an advisor. How about you and Choid?? Before Chen a De, it was Choid?, how was you and Choid?....When did you first see him? Under what situation did you see him? 5 �TIGER WANG: I may say that the development of the Chinese Air Force would be affected tremendously without the help provided by Americans. At first, the aviation school, a base for the Air Force to develop aviators, was in Hangchow. This aviation school in Hangchow..... In the beginning, when we start the Hangchow aviation school, the late President Mr. Chiang had invited Americans to be advisors. There was a General Advisor from U.S. Air Force named Choid?, we translated as Chou Wei-teh?. Choid?, Chou, Wei-teh came with a group of people that mostly selected from U.S. armed forces. Later on, Choid? left and Roland? took over his job. When we established the aviation school in Hangchow, Roland? and the American advisors helped a great deal in providing people, equipment, how to develop, how to teach, how to teach how to fly, and how to teach mechanics. At that time, the Hangchow aviation school was the most important base for the development of the Air Force. In this base, just as we started, just began the semester, the American advisers came. So the American advisors had a very deep relationship with the development of the Chinese Air Force. INTERVIEWER: When did they allocate General Chen a De to China? Why him? TIGER WANG: Just as I said in the beginning, the highest organization was the Aviation Agency which was the highest office in charge of the development of the Air force. The late President Mr. Chiang, in order to gather talents for the Air Force, expanded it into the Aviation Committee. The Aviation Committee became the most important organization for the development of the Air Force. So, when talk about the development of the Chinese Air Force, we had encountered many obstacles, but, under the leadership of the late President, we overcame all of them one after another. INTERVIEWER: What's the condition for Chen a De to come to China? TIGER WANG: You listen to me. In the beginning, among our advisors, we invited advisors as soon as the school was established, Choid? was in a higher class; he was the head of the advisors. In the aviation school, the advisor that concerned about the flying instruction was Roland. There were several advisors, all had took part in the World War, under Roland's commands. So, right after establishing of the aviation school, we got some American advisers immediately. At that time, before this, the late President sent me to the Soviet Union to learn flying, to learn the air force stuff. When I came back, the aviation school was just about to begin, so I..., Mr. Chiang want me to serve as instructor for flying. That was when I just returned from Soviet Union after stay there for seven years. I went to the aviation school right after coming back, and the school 6 �was just about to start. There was an Aviation Committee and Choid? was the advisor for that Committee. Roland? was the advisor for the aviation school. At that moment, Roland? and those American instructors, and those advisors in the development of our Air Force, Choid? and Roland? contributed very much to us. INTERVIEWER: Then Chen a De...... O.K. We may stop, O.K. INTERVIEWER: (Man) When Chen a De. INTERVIEWER: I mean when. TIGER WANG: At first, people that related to the development of our Air Force, the first one in aviation, we cannot called it "Air Force" then, was the aviation advisor Choid? The one actually contributed to flying was Roland?. INTERVIEWER: Then, when did Chen a De come? TIGER WANG: You listen to me. After Roland?, when Roland? left. (Can we stop for a minute? There is a airplane flying.) All the advisors came from America, so we only talk about American advisors here. As I told you, our Air Force once try to get Italian aviation advisors, air force advisors. Later, there were Russians. But, ever since the beginning of our Air Force, there were American advisors helping us. And, about.... INTERVIEWER: TIGER WANG: When did Chen a De come? You listen to me. When he came first, Chen a De had lived in Hangchow, also in Hangchow where we had a unit, the aviation school. But, Chen a De did not stay in Hangchow for long before we start to fight with Japanese. I can say that Japanese was very concerned with the development of the Chinese Air Force. Japanese, when the Double-seven Defensive War began, it was Japanese. At that time, in the urban areas, not only urban areas, we Chinese people were discussing about one thing said that Japanese concerned with the rapidly developing of Chinese Air Force very much, they concerned it very much. So, for Japanese, some people said that the Defensive War broken out was because Japanese would not wait until our Air Force reached certain achievement. This was not spread by the Air Force people, it was discussed by general publics. They said, if the Air Force did not develop so quickly, Japanese may not started the war at that time. About this, I.... We cannot say whether it was true or not, but some people thought so. 7 �INTERVIEWER: When did the Voluntary Group first come to China? TIGER WANG: That was after Chen a De. You listen to me. When Roland? left, we invited another advisor that was Choid?. No, not Choid?, that was Chen a De. Chen a De did not come here very long before the beginning of the Defensive War. The Air Force School moved to Chengtu? first, and later to Kunming. Chen a De was always with us along the road to Kunming, he was always with us. It was Chen a De from then on. Our aviation school once moved to Chengtu?, then to many difference places in Kunming. The Air Force also moved from Chengtu? to Kunming, then the school reopened. INTERVIEWER: The Voluntary Group first came to..... TIGER WANG: There was no Voluntary Group at that time. INTERVIEWER: Then, what was the condition when the AVG first came to Mainland China? We are talking about the arrival of the Voluntary Group, AVG. TIGER WANG: When the AVG came, I tell you, AVG was established in Kunming. We were in the Defensive War at that time, and all the bases have been moved to Kunming, and the Air Force Academy was moved to Kunming also. The Air Force Academy had a very close relationship with the Defensive War. When we moved to Kunming, Chen a De was the General Advisor already. I was once the Dean of Education of Air Force Academy which actually was the President of the Academy. Then who was the president of the Air Force Academy? It was the late President Mr. Chiang. INTERVIEWER: When the AVG Came..... TIGER WANG: You just slow down... What did you say? Chen a De with several other advisors stay at the Academy first, and he and me...... I was in the Academy also then. He was a general advisor to our flying instructors. There were three or four people under him, all moved with the school. I was in charge of the school when in Kunming, so I have a very close relationship with Chen a De, we have been through hard times together, we are real friends. When he was in Kunming, there were no very many flying advisors, only several other people. but when we moved to Kunming, we began to train our people there, and Chen a De was always the General Advisor for the Air Force Academy. We were in the Defensive War then. Americans did not involved when we began the defensive War, you know that, right? After moving to Kunming, Chen a De was 8 �always the general advisor for the aviation school, Besides, there were several other advisors. At that time, as I told my American friends, the Americans did not involved into the war yet. They did not eager to fight for.... at that moment. But at that time, even American friends knew, what's they knew? they knew that the war between Japan and China will get America involve inside in the future. INTERVIEWER: Then, when did the AVG..... TIGER WANG: You listen to me. The U.S. will certainly get involved. In our government, to tell the truth, we understand this also. I told them quite often, said that Americans, in the future, when our American friends were threatened by Japanese, they will, and must come to us for cooperation in military. We had this idea at that time. But our American friends, those Americans, they, too, understood this only they cannot admitted. They cannot say that someday we will join together to fight Japanese, because their government did not declare war yet. That's why when the U.S. government decided to take part at our Defensive War to fight against Japanese, Chen a De was appointed by his government right away to take charge of the battle. He became not only a general advisor for training of aviators, but also a general advisor for the Air Force. In this history, American's advisory group was established step by step. When in Kunming, right after the U.S. government decided to participate the war, Chen a De began to set up the American aviation team when he still serve as the general advisor for the Air Force. At first, it was a voluntary group, It was voluntary. At that time, even Americans knew that Japan will fight with America someday. So, when in Kunming, Chen a De was a general advisor first, when the war began, the U.S. government immediately appointed him to be in charge of the battle. At that time, due to his government's strategy, he still cannot take part in the war. So, the relationship between countries must be built step by step. We and the U.S. Air Force had a very good relationship even before the Defensive War. Chen a De was a very important people in establishing this relationship. He knew that someday Americans must fight against Japanese, so, when he was still a general advisor for flying training, he never spoke in public anything about the battle, he said it was not my duty, in fact, we had discussed secretly. This is a joke that we discussed secretly, but he did provide with the Air Force many things that related to... not only..., he just did not participate in the war directly. When America involved into the war, he immediately..... In fact, he was well prepared already. 9 �INTERVIEWER: But the AVG was established before the U.S. got involved into the war directly. TIGER WANG: What? INTERVIEWER: The AVG was established before the U.S. got involved into the war directly. TIGER WANG: Yes. It was before e. the AVG was established in Kunming by Chen a De, and then also directed by him. INTERVIEWER: How is he? The procedure, What's the procedure for the establishment of the AVG? TIGER WANG: The AVG was established step by step. At first, there were several instructors in his team, if he participate.... It was not established very rapidly in Kunming. Before the establishment of the AVG, Chen a De was already in Kunming. He was always in Kunming at that time to be with the school. knew that the U.S. government.., at that time, Japanese was in Hanoi, Vietnam, they had invaded Vietnam already. American participated in the war after Japanese invaded Vietnam. Then, for those Americans like Chen a De, the U.S. government gave him a title immediately which stated that he was located in China to represent the Air Force and then established a voluntary group. It was only a voluntary group instead publicly announced that this was the the U.S. Air Force. After establishing the AVG, they set up another unit, a battle unit, what's the name of it? It seemed that Chen a De had a very long title, so he make fun of it himself, he told me, he said: Tiger, look at my title, I got a very long title for my position. What was the title? It was the General Advisor of the Air Force of Republic of China, Chen a De with American Air Force in China..... (Man: China Air Task Force). American Voluntary Group's, he was not the commander at that time, it was a squadron commander. Later, this title was changed. The U.S. government want the air force to set up a formal American organization in China (Man: China Air Task Force). Ya, Ya, it was China Air Task Force. INTERVIEWER: The conditions in Kunming when the AVG established. TIGER WANG: In Kunming, before it establishment, the American understood that Japanese will enlarge the war for sure. So, General Chen a De understood that the U.S. Air Force will come to China once it became necessary. Before the U.S. government declared anything about what the air force is going to do, he will not say anything. But, when we talked, we discussed this situation very often. So, 10 �when in Kunming, Chen a De was only a general advisor for my school, but he knew that once the American government decide to involve into this war, his job will be changed right away. So, he has prepared in advance at that time, but we can only say so in private occasion. He cannot say that we are going to do so and so in the future, he never did. Americans never release military secret unintentionally. Therefore, I knew it clearly that, when served as the general advisor, before the establishment of the AVG, he had prepared for the day that they will take part in the war. So, when the U.S. government announced that there will be an American voluntary group in China, he got it ready immediately. At first, when the AVG was in Kunming, there were only a few flying instructors which was not enough. Later, his followers came to China very quickly and the AVG was established gradually. First, the unit was called a team, not a group. So, it was the American Voluntary Team first, some America..., I thought that the U.S. government must have a completed plan. If Japan joined..., if they joined the war against Japan, Chen a De will in charge of the Air Force in conjunction with the Chinese Air Force. So, when the AVG was established, their people have came to China already. I knew it, who said it was a voluntary group? The U.S. Air Force officers pretended that they were volunteers; in fact, they represented the American's..... But we 'd better not to say this although, in fact, it was just like this. Part of them, I can make sure that part of them were volunteers, but those who really take part in the battle, were prepared by Americans in advance. It must be well-prepared before. So Chen a De ..... At first, this group was a temporary unit instead of a permanent one. I think this was all for an excuse. Therefore, it was Chen a De that in charge of the U.S. Air Force when they began to fight in China, that was why Chen a De was so familiar with them. INTERVIEWER: Ambassador Wang, when the AVG was established, what was your rank in the Armed forces? TIGER WANG: I was the Assistant Commandant (Executive Officer) for the Chinese Air Force Academy, which was, because the President was the late President Mr. Chiang, so we were called Assistant Commandant, in fact, it was the President. At that time, I have set up the Fifth Area Air Force..., Chinese Air Force Fifth Area General Headquarter. The Chinese Air Force set up the fifth area headquarter, I invited Chen a De to plan for the headquarter in battling and also in organizing, etc. So, before the establishment of the AVG, it was me that..... Because the Fifth Headquarter was to direct the battle for Chinese Air Force, Chen a De understood that if he take the responsibilities to organize the troop in the future, 11 �namely, the AVG, because the Americans did not declare the war against Japan yet, they cannot say they were in the war. But, Americans had prepared very early and we cannot cover this fact, even Japanese knew this themselves. INTERVIEWER: After the establishment of he AVG, began....... with the Chinese..... TIGER WANG: No, no, I will tell you. TIGER WANG: No, no, let me tell you. What's the situation when the AVG was established? When Americans decided to involve into the war, there was a temporary in its title: it was a temporary air force voluntary group. Not only Americans but also Chinese that voluntarily came to join this group. There were Chinese in this group. Of course, there were no Chinese that served as pilot in the group, but there were many Chinese served for positions like mechanics and others. So, when the AVG was established, all the aviators were came from America. INTERVIEWER: How many? TIGER WANG: I don't remember how many. It was a voluntary group, and was established step by step. I can say that most of the ground staff were allocated by me and were Chinese. INTERVIEWER: How was the relationship between Chinese and American in the AVG? TIGER WANG: Very good. Not Bad. INTERVIEWER: Please repeat by question. I mean you have to say in the AVG, Chinese and Americans... TIGER WANG: We can say that the AVG..... I was there when they started it in Kunming. I and General Chen a De. He was my general advisor, general advisor for flying. Because he was in this position, so he invited my to be his, it cannot be called an advisor, he just asked me to help him. He he was in my school, I was the general advisor; when he organized the AVG, he invited me to join his temporary group, too. In fact, for that temporary group, he invited me to help him. So we had a very good relationship in from the beginning of the temporary group in personnel and many other fields. We cooperated well. When in Kunming, the temporary group was just established, I may say that all the ground staff were allocated by me. All the ground staff were allocated by me. All the aviators 12 �were Americans, but the ground staff, like mechanics and others were sent to them from me. INTERVIEWER: How was the relationship between the aviators and ground staff in… TIGER WANG: There was no problem at all. We got a very good relationship. We Chinese performed very well when cooperated with Americans in the air force. When Chen a De's temporary group first established, if there were no Chinese, we would not have ground staff. Most of them were Chinese. INTERVIEWER: Ambassador Wang, do you remember the Burma Road? The Burma Road that was defended by the AVG and was bombed, do you remember? TIGER WANG: What? INTERVIEWER: INTERVIEWER: (Man) Burma. Burma. TIGER WANG: Oh, Burma. INTERVIEWER: INTERVIEWER: (Man) The Burma Road The Burma Road. TIGER WANG: Burma Road, ah, I thought you said........ INTERVIEWER: The Burma Road, not the Burma Road. It was the Burma Road. TIGER WANG: The Burma Road. In fact I was in Burma Road when Chen a De was in Burma Road, in Burma. I did lots of things at that time. At first, he was at northern Burma..... What's the name of that place? (Man: Lashio). Right, Lashio. Isn't that true that American established the AVG? The headquarter was set in Lashio. I went there very often. Because at that time, Chen a De, especially about the personnel, about the personnel of ground staff, all were helped by we Chinese. At this moment, Chen a De was no longer the general advisor for the Air Force Academy; he resigned already. He was the Commander of the Group for full-time. INTERVIEWER: Ambassador Wang, do you still remember Stilwell? TIGER WANG: Stilwell? I know. I know. INTERVIEWER: What's the difference between he and General Chen a De? 13 �TIGER WANG: It is very difficult to express. It is very hard for me to criticize them. INTERVIEWER: It is not to criticize rather than..... TIGER WANG: I know it clearly; I know it clearly. INTERVIEWER: So how was it? What's the difference between them? TIGER WANG: Stilwell he. When first came, he was also with very few people. There were not very many people with him when he first came. Stilwell, at the same time, he and. As I know, Stilwell and General Chen a De probably did not have chance to work together in America. Stilwell was a complete serviceman and Chen a De, at that time, was kind of a half soldier, half ordinary people. Chen a De has retired for a long time then already. When he served as our general advisor and some other things, he was retired already, but later, he restored. As far as I know, due to many different reasons, it was not so easy to cooperate with Stilwell. I don't know how to say. INTERVIEWER: It doesn't matter, you can say that. TIGER WANG: No, nothing special..... But, in American troops, it is their private issues when one or two people did not want to cooperate. It is their own business. INTERVIEWER: What's the major differences of their Chinese policy? TIGER WANG: Their Chinese policies, I can say that Chen a De served in China for a much longer period. In many events, he understood the situation in China. So, Chinese and he both have special feeling toward each other. Stillwell was a complete serviceman, I may say, he was a hundred-percent serviceman. He took his things as top priority in many issues. Chen a De understood China much better. As I know, they two. I am afraid that Stilwell was not only cannot go along with Chen a De.He was relocated from India later, wasn't he? I thought that the U.S. government moved him.. I thought... INTERVIEWER: So, basically, Stillwell and Chen a De..... Change the tape. INTERVIEWER: (Man) Stilwell he....... TIGER WANG: I know. Stilwell considered too many. 14 �INTERVIEWER: Can we start? TIGER WANG: He considered too many, and he was too intransigent. He could not communicate with the late President Mr. Chiang very well in some aspects. His opinion could not go along with the late President Mr. Chaing. Talk about Chen a De, if compared with Stilwell, he was much more agreeable. Stilwell was very intransigent. Once when I went to India, He was in India.. INTERVIEWER: (Man) Ranguard? TIGER WANG: I don't remember the name. INTERVIEWER: (Man) Ranguard.? TIGER WANG: I met him in India and he was still. He was still. His characteristics. He was very. He spoke openly when he did not feel comfortable with someone. INTERVIEWER: Self-centered. TIGER WANG: Yea, he spoke openly when he did not feel comfortable with someone. INTERVIEWER: How do you think about his opinion? Were they correct or incorrect? TIGER WANG: Some of them were incorrect, some of them. I thought that Stilwell did not has enough experience in real war. His fighting experience was not enough. He got his own idea. He it was not before long when he was moved from India. He did not stay there for a long time before the U.S. government moved him. INTERVIEWER: So you think that his opinion toward the late President Mr. Chiang was not correct? TIGER WANG: He got different ideas to our late President. I cannot say that they are all different, but most of them were different. I thought that he got his own idea on the relationship between we and India. He always showed that he thought that there were some consideration by the late President Mr. Chiang for things related to India. INTERVIEWER: Then how was the attitude of the late President toward him? For example, critique about him. 15 �TIGER WANG: The late President knew everything. He was really a great person, he knew that Stilwell have an attitude against him, but he did not. But he could not get along with Stilwell in many aspects. He could not bear them, either. INTERVIEWER: What's the late President's critique about him? TIGER WANG: About the critique, he would not do that. The old gentleman would not criticize an American general. The late President Mr. Chiang would never like this. He would just ignore him, namely, for those who doesn't want to cooperate, I just ignore you. INTERVIEWER: What was his attitude towards all the critiques from Stilwell? He did not explain, He just ignored them. TIGER WANG: The late President knew everything about how he criticized him in India. That's why sometimes I fell that there were misunderstandings between them. INTERVIEWER: Misunderstanding in what? TIGER WANG: For example, in political and military events, relationship between China and America, Chinese and American policies toward each other. At that time, during the Defensive War, that's for sure, we hope that China and America can work together closely. As a matter of fact, it was very reasonable for two countries to have different points of views on certain affairs. Stilwell was very intransigent, he never care about other's feeling. The late President knew this because Stilwell criticized him in public quite often. the late President said that he knew this, but he did not. He had the manner as a leader. [Background ---- Noisy sounds] INTERVIEWER: Give me the thing. TIGER WANG: About the formation of the Flying Tigers. INTERVIEWER: Right, so when you begin...Let's say this first. Now we say hello to all the Tigers first. Say that in English, right now. TIGER WANG: That's... In English, right? INTERVIEWER: Right. You just say Who I am, because I cannot come, so I greeting you here, O.K.? Say that now. TIGER WANG: Ladies and gentlemen. 16 �INTERVIEWER: Look at me, look at my direction. We do it again from beginning. You have to look at here and say ladies and gentlemen. Let's do that again. TIGER WANG: Right now? When shall I begin? INTERVIEWER: Right now. TIGER WANG: I say that now. INTERVIEWER: Unhu, right. TIGER WANG: Ladies and gentlemen, I am General Tiger Wang. This year is the fiftieth year of the Flying Tigers anniversary, but I cannot going to there see you everybody. I am very sorry. Wish to you everybody in good health. All time is good, good, and good. I hope I'll see you again, ok, again, again, and again. INTERVIEWER: Very good. Now I am going to ask you some more questions. Was there any direct relationship between the formation of the AVG and Madam Chiang? TIGER WANG: Shall I answer it right now? INTERVIEWER: Yes, you may answer the question now. Start with Madam Chiang... TIGER WANG: Have a very important relationship. INTERVIEWER: What have a important relationship? Do you mean Madam Chiang? You have to repeat my question first. You just say there was a very important relationship between the formation of the AVG and Madam Chiang. You start like this. TIGER WANG: There was a very important relationship between the formation of the AVG and Madam Chiang. Not only this, we may say that not only the establishing of the AVG, she contributed to the diplomatic relationship of China and America directly. This was also a very honorable thing to the Air Force. So, Madam Chiang not only helped the Air Force, the nation, she had contributed very much to the nation, to the Air Force. She made it possible to establish the AVG which was a very important thing. It was very important especially for Chinese Air Force. INTERVIEWER: What did she do? How did she help to form the AVG? 17 �TIGER WANG: At first, she was in the States to deal with the Americans. As I know, before the establishment of the AVG, she was deal with those Americans that related to this event, even the U.S. Air Force. She tried very hard to establish this organization. INTERVIEWER: So she had been in America for lobbying, right? Madam Chiang? TIGER WANG: I cannot say it was lobbying. She devoted herself for the country. INTERVIEWER: Right. Right. Yes. Can you explain the political background of the formation of the AVG? Namely, why Americans want to establish the Flying Tigers? How did it match with the needs of China? Did China ask to establish the Flying Tigers? Or, did Americans want to have the Flying Tigers themselves, too? What was the political background? Would you please explain this. TIGER WANG: I think this question is related to the country. INTERVIEWER: It doesn't matter, ambassador, because this is history already, this is for public. We only want to know your personal opinion. TIGER WANG: When the AVG was established, Madam Chiang rally devoted herself to this job. Before it was formed, as I know, she did lots of works to those top persons that related to the Air Force as well as the Congress because there were many Air Force officers in the Congress. So, As I know, before the AVG was formed, Madam did a great job in developing relationship with different areas and to talk with them about this issue. It was a great contribution to the country and the Air Force as well. INTERVIEWER: Did General Chen a De participate in the battle himself? Did General Chen a De fight with the enemy himself or he was only a commander? TIGER WANG: We did not know it clearly when he was in the United States. He did not come to China then. INTERVIEWER: You must say "When General Chen a De was in America," because you got to speak out his name. You say "General Chen a De....... TIGER WANG: When in his own country, General Chen a De contributed to his country and to the Air Force very much. But we did not understand the situation clearly, so we cannot described it. But we did know that he tried very hard in the Congress and in the Air Force to 18 �make Chinese and American Air Forces keep a very close relationship. He contributed to this event very much. INTERVIEWER: Did he battle with the enemy himself when in the AVG? Did he fly? Battle? TIGER WANG: When he was in the AVG. INTERVIEWER: Say General Chen a De, say his name. TIGER WANG: When General Chen a De was in the AVG, he did fly. But about fight with the enemy... As I know, he was a commander, a commander to the AVG. No matter up to the sky or on the ground, things were all in his plan. It was not necessary for him to battle personally when he served as the leader of the AVG. He was the commander. INTERVIEWER: We know that during the Defensive War, the late President have to fight against, in one side, Japanese, in the other, Chinese Communists. Can you explain this situation? At that time, can you explain the situation then? How the late President...... TIGER WANG: As far as I know, when fight against Japanese, General Chen a De contributed very much to Chinese Air Force, to the cooperation with Chinese Air Force, and to commanding. But about against the Communists. INTERVIEWER: No, I mean the late President Chiang. At that time, in Mainland China, the situation was troubles within . TIGER WANG: You mean late President Chiang! INTERVIEWER: Yes. Troubles within and without. He got to fight against Japanese and Communists. So the burden to President Chiang was very heavy: troubles within and without. Can you explain the situation at that time? Talking about the President Chaing, have to fight against Japanese and the Communists. TIGER WANG: How can I explain this. The President's ambition was to make the Republic of China a modernized country. If, no matter it was foreign countries or from inside of China, it was harmful rather than helpful to the country, then the President, for the future of the nation, cannot help but to use military forces. INTERVIEWER: The situation must be very tough at that time. What was the situation? 19 �TIGER WANG: The situation.... it was a very severe problem for the country. I believe the old President was not willing to have civil war in China. But he cannot allow the enemy to hurt the country. In order to save the nation, to rescue the people, he just cannot neglect the situation, he would not. INTERVIEWER: At that time, even until now, some people said that the late President only fight with the Communists instead of against Japanese. TIGER WANG: They cannot say that. INTERVIEWER: He did not take fighting against Japanese as top priority. TIGER WANG: No, no. We cannot say that. If he did not fight against Japanese. INTERVIEWER: General, would you. TIGER WANG: For example, in China, we called fight against Communists as "Attack against the Bandits" INTERVIEWER: Right. So they said that the late President just attacked the bandits but did not fight against Japanese. This was the critique from foreign scholars toward him. I hope you can explain this here, all right? Please repeat my question when you ready to start. TIGER WANG: I think they were wrong to criticize the old President on this point. INTERVIEWER: All right, all right, repeat my words first. You just say: "Somebody said that the late President just attacked the bandits but did not fight against Japanese." Repeat this sentence first and then say what is your opinion. TIGER WANG: Somebody said that the old President just attacked the bandits but did not fight against Japanese. I think that they are humiliate him, besides, it was not a fact according to the history. In contrast, many people said, to stabilize the inside before repel the outside. I agreed this idea totally. To stabilize the inside before repel the outside did not mean to fight against both sides simultaneously; this would make the country suffered too much. So, I totally agreed with the late President's strategy of eliminate inner bandits first and then defend outside invader. If we cannot unify the nation and collect all our strength to defend invaded enemy, our country's strength will be weakened. At that time, there certainly were some people said that the late President just attacked the bandits but did not 20 �fight against Japanese. For them, I have one question to ask: You said the late president did not fight against Japanese, then how we won the Defensive War? Who lead us to fight for the victory? It was the old President that lead us to fight for the Defensive War. So, if somebody said that the late President just attacked the bandits but did not fight against Japanese, I will say that this is just nonsense. INTERVIEWER: Will you please say that again because we did not get it right yesterday. You say when Japan invaded China in 1937, did the Chinese Air Force have strong power enough to against Japanese Air Force? I mean, how many pilots, how many planes did Chinese Air Force own? TIGER WANG: I don't know. I don't know the pilot. INTERVIEWER: Repeat my words first and say when Japan invaded China in 1937, the Chinese Air Force. Repeat my word first, all right? TIGER WANG: That was about the Defensive War in 1937. At the time when the War began, we Chinese Air Force were prepared and were trained for, but did not have a very powerful ability. The important thing for battling is that the ability to fight got to be continued. At the time we prepared for the War, we only have part of the Air Force prepared. We did try our best to train our men. I served in Air Force at that time. INTERVIEWER: How many planes? How many pilots? How many planes that can fly, can fight? TIGER WANG: How many planes at that time? I may say that in quantity. The fighting is depend on two things, one is the quality, the other is the quantity. When the war began, I think that the quality of the training of the Chinese Air Force was very good. But as the war going on, there were certain losses which was inevitable. When try to supply for the losses, we encountered many difficulties. INTERVIEWER: During the Defensive War, Japanese Air Force bombed many Chinese cities, can you describe your feeling when you saw those cities slaughtered by Japanese bombs. Can you describe what did you feel? TIGER WANG: Of Course, at that time. 21 �INTERVIEWER: Repeat my word first and say when Japanese Air Force bombed these Chinese cities and made uncountable losses, what was your feeling. Repeat my words first. TIGER WANG: When the Defensive War began, Japanese has prepared a very powerful Air Force which I can say that was much stronger than ours. But, I think that in many places, the Japanese Air Force should not bombed anywhere they want, they should not do this. At that time, people in many cities worried about and suffered from this very much. They worried and suffered too much. I think that in strategy. INTERVIEWER: Change the tape. Japanese troops planed to went through but was destroyed by the AVG, on the Salween River...... Ambassador, do you remember that event? TIGER WANG: I don't remember that. INTERVIEWER: Everybody knows, people knows your nickname. They prefer to call you Tiger Wang. Can you explain why? How did you get this name? When you are ready to start, when you ready to say, repeat my words first and say "people always call me Tiger Wang." and then explain the original of this name. TIGER WANG: Some people call me Tiger Wang, namely Wang Lao Hu. I got this name because when fighting for the Air Force, I was famous for not afraid of death. I was like that in the Air Force, furthermore, when I trained my followers, I focused on teaching them to be not afraid of death also. There were two things that we mentioned all the time when trained our followers in the Air Force which stated "Not afraid of death," and "Not covetous for money." I may say that the spiritual of the Chinese Air Force in "Not afraid of death" is very respectable. It is not because I was a member in the Chinese Air Force so that I praise it, it because. When talk about the quantity of the Chinese Air Force, we were much weaker than Japanese Air Force. INTERVIEWER: So the origin of your nickname was. TIGER WANG: In addition, people call me this is possibly because when I trained my followers and my students to be not afraid of death. To train my troops and my students to be not afraid of death, I have to be not afraid of death myself, right? When I train the air force, the idea of not afraid of death was a very important....This was a fact for the education. 22 �INTERVIEWER: Is there any relationship to the Flying Tigers? Your name Tiger Wang and the Flying Tigers. TIGER WANG: No at all. I got the name, Tiger Wang, long before the formation of the Flying Tigers. That was when.... There were many reasons for this name Tiger Wang: because I treated my followers very strictly and I paid serious intention to military regulation. It was not only because I did not afraid of death in flying that get me the name Tiger Wang, I was very restricted to my followers. For those good followers, I did my best to promote them; for those followers that were not so good, I would not do bad things immediately, I just retrained them more strictly. In the Air Force, I can tell you, it was not that easy to train a good pilot. So, people call me Tiger Wang is because I always requested strictly and because of my bravery in fighting. INTERVIEWER: Could you explain to us the influence of the AVG on China? TIGER WANG: I may say that the AVG did contribute to our country for a great deal. Because at that moment, to tell the truth, if we depend on our own Air Force, it would be too painful for us. In comparing with Japan, we were far behind them. At that time, people felt that our Air Force was not good enough in both quality and quantity. We requested very strictly in quality and the training was very tough. INTERVIEWER: People said that Chinese and American Air Forces have a very good relationship until today. How is your feeling? What is your opinion? Repeat my words first. TIGER WANG: The relationship between China and America... Chinese and American Air Forces have a very good relationship indeed. One of the reason for this is because the Chinese Air Force, when we started our aviation school, when we set up the aviation school in Hangchow, the first advisor that we invited were an American. Like Choid? and others, all the instructors were Americans. At that very moment, Chinese pilots and American pilots have built a strong friendship. I can tell you, the relationship between teachers and students are more important than anything else. TeacherStudent relationship, I mean for teacher and students, especially for air force, teacher and student were having a relationship to live or die together. For example, a teacher go fly with a student, if something goes wrong, the plane crashed, the teacher will die as well as the student. So it is very logical and reasonable for us to say that the teacher and student in air force have a very special relationship. We have a good relationship with the U.S. Air Force, one of the most important reasons is because there is a teacher- 23 �student relationship between us. I may tell you, this is a major reason. INTERVIEWER: How about the relationship for today's Chinese and American Air Forces? TIGER WANG: The relationship for today's Chinese and American Air Forces are still very good and it will be good forever. Although there are some differences in the countries' and the government's policies, but in personal feelings, we are still good friends with the U.S. Air Force. INTERVIEWER: Are the relationship from fifty years ago still the main reason? TIGER WANG: Of course. This is a very important reason.... INTERVIEWER: Repeat my words. The main reason. TIGER WANG: Of course. The main reason is because there is a teacher-student relationship. The teacher-student relationship is a live- and-dietogether relationship. We keep a very close relationship with the U.S. Air Force until today, the main reason is because this important relationship. INTERVIEWER: We know that five months after the establishment of the Flying Tigers, the Pearl Harbor Incident occurred. Would you please describe your feeling. Was there any change after the incident? Was there any change for the U.S. Air Force, the AVG in China? What's the situation? TIGER WANG: The Pearl Harbor Incident. INTERVIEWER: Repeat my words, the Pearl Harbor Incident occurred in December 1941. Then go on, O.K.? Repeat my words first. TIGER WANG: What is the purpose of your question? INTERVIEWER: Before the Pearl Harbor Incident. INTERVIEWER: After the Pearl Harbor Incident. Before the Pearl Harbor Incident, America did not participate in the war. The only thing they have in China was the AVG to help Chinese Air Force fight against Japan. After the Pearl Harbor Incident, America take part in the war. To you, because you were a general in China, an Air Force general, O.K.? How did you feel? Was there any influence for the AVG? 24 �Was there any influence on their battle strategy or anything else? What's your feeling? TIGER WANG: About this question, just like I mentioned before. INTERVIEWER: You have to repeat and say the Pearl Harbor Incident occurred in 1941, and then continued. They cannot recorded my questions, O.K.? TIGER WANG: O.K., O.K. INTERVIEWER: Let's do it again. TIGER WANG: In 1941, the Pearl Harbor Incident occurred. This incident increase the friendship between Chinese and American Air Forces. This is a fact that it increase the friendship between Chinese and American Air Forces. When the incident happened, I was in Siberia. I was in Siberia to build an air force base so that in this wide area, the Chinese Air Force may have a base for the war. When the Pearl Harbor Incident happened, I was there to look for a proper place to be the site for air force base. At that moment, I have thought about the Siberia which was a very big wilderness. According to my judgement, if there was things happened among Japan, America and China, I believe that Siberia must be a... It will be inevitable for us to use Siberia. So, before the Pearl Harbor Incident, I can tell you, I got a plan for the base in Siberia and began to build base there. So when the Pearl Harbor Incident occurred, our base in Siberia became very useful. I remembered when I was building the base in Siberia, my friends from the U.S. Air Force went there, too. He went there to check the base. The U.S. Air Force, before the Pearl Harbor Incident, knew that it would be inevitable for Americans to fight against Japan someday. We can talk about it here that they have prepared for the set-up of the air force bases and so did the Chinese. So, after the incident happened, bases around this area did become very useful. INTERVIEWER: What you mean is that after the Pearl Harbor Incident, the cooperation between Chinese and American became even closer. TIGER WANG: Closer? Yes, it is true. After the Pearl Harbor Incident, Chinese and Americans cooperated to each other closer. And, all those higher ranked officers in the Air Force knew that there would be a day like this. So, the reason I built the base in Siberia was not only for us, the U.S. Air Force use it more often than we did. 25 �INTERVIEWER: O.K. Can we go back and talk a little bit about... Because you were the trainer for Chinese Air Force, can you tell us the methods Chinese used to train our air force staff? Is there any difference to the methods used by the U.S. Air Force? TIGER WANG: What? INTERVIEWER: I mean is there any difference between the training methods of Chinese and U.S. Air Forces? TIGER WANG: Memorial? INTERVIEWER: No, I mean. TIGER WANG: For Chinese and American Air Forces, I can say that, from the beginning of the training for both Chinese and American Air Forces, all the content are the same. It is true that they are the same. I can tell you, because, for Chinese Air Force, when we established in Janchao?, Hangchow, the school had invited Americans from Air Force to be advisors and flying instructors. Not only as advisors, but also as flying instructors. At that time, training foundation, training methods, selection of Air force staff were almost all followed what Americans did for their own air force. So, for Chinese and American Air Forces to cooperate is very easy, very sincere, very easy. Those American instructors of the air force came to our place, I can say, they did not think they were Americans anymore; they just the same as Chinese, that's truth. The cooperation of China and America was not succeeded in a short period, especially for the Air Force. The training methods and training procedures of the Chinese Air Force were the same as it of the Americans. When I went to America, that was because American instructors came her to train our people to fly, so they invited me to The U.S. to inspect and evaluate. I went to their aviation school and found it was the same as ours. They were totally similar. In the training methods, training, even daily life, all the training were the same as in China. This is one of the reasons that made it very easy for Chinese and American Air Forces to cooperate. General public may think that the Chinese and American Air Forces. As a matter of fact, why the Chinese and American Air Forces can form and looked like from the same country is because when the training began, we have the American instructors, American advisors. In the meantime, we Chinese thought that the training and education of U.S. Air Force was really very good. 26 �INTERVIEWER: At that time, a traditional flying strategy for Air Force was to have three planes fly together, but General Chen a De's strategy was to have two planes. TIGER WANG: What two plans? INTERVIEWER: I mean, at that time. TIGER WANG: That is the formation of the air force. In the formation of the air force, a squad team has three planes, sometimes four plans. INTERVIEWER: But General Chen a De's method, his strategy was two planes. TIGER WANG: That was a. This was not a permanent. INTERVIEWER: How did you feel, because two planes, it was a new formation for two planes. It was a new strategy at that moment. TIGER WANG: It was not a. INTERVIEWER: We want to know what your opinion about this thing? Can we start it over again. When you begin, we will work on this question from beginning. When you start, repeat the question first. TIGER WANG: I don't understand this that clear. INTERVIEWER: You don't know it that well? TIGER WANG: Let me tell you one thing. I have a very close relationship with the U.S. Air Force. For example, when they established the AVG; the formation of the AVG was a very big event for America and for the Air Force. It was very important. Let me tell you, in the AVG, there was a Group Commander, the next were Squadron Commanders, and then Squad Team Leaders. I will tell you now that the AVG was established in Kunming. After established, Chen a De, and this was not his opinion alone, invited me to be their second leader that equivalent to the deputy group commander. At that time, it was not so appropriate to give me a title as deputy group commander, but they invited me to join them. Chen a De invited me to be the deputy group commander, because there were not only Americans in the AVG; there were many Chinese in the group included Chinese aviators. Therefore Chen a De invited me to served as, he cannot called me deputy group commander, but it was one of the leaders for the group. I don't think many people know anything about this. When he invited me to do this, I tell him that I got to ask for the President's permission because I am a 27 �Chinese officer but most of the staff in the AVG were Americans and, as a matter of fact, it is an American troop. The AVG was an American troop, therefore, when Chen a De asked me, but he cannot say please be my deputy group commander, to be one of the leaders. I told him right away that I cannot make decision myself for this issue. Because for a Chinese officer get into the American military system, I got to ask our old gentleman. I went to see the old gentleman myself, and the late President agreed with my suggestion that Chinese officers should not be the leader for American troops. So, finally, our old gentleman permitted and told Chen a De that I will serve as a second leader, but it cannot be announced to the public that I am the deputy group commander, just like a guest which will not be included in the system. So, I think not many people knew about this thing. INTERVIEWER: Did this issue has any influence on your future as a serviceman? TIGER WANG: No, no. there was no influence at all. I tell you, for those came to help the Chinese Air Force at about the same time, we had American advisors, Russian advisors, and once Italian advisors. Sometimes we invited American advisors and Italian advisors simultaneously. Therefore, the Chinese Air Force invited advisor from America which were largest in amount and have longest history. Next was Russian advisors. It was during the China-Soviet Union cooperation period. There were Russian advisors in Army, even served as pilot for the Air Force. We have been with American Air Force as well as Russian Air Force. I learned how to fly in Soviet Union. The other was, I am afraid there were very few people knew this, our cooperation with Italy. Our Air Force once had Italian advisors and there were many Italian flying instructors. I think most of the people did not understand this. What we hope was that no matter which country help us to establish the air force as long as they treated us well, emphasize on his own air force, and owned a very powerful Air Force themselves. So, in the Chinese Air Force, we have American advisors; during the China-Soviet Union cooperation period, we have Russian advisors; once one even have Italian advisors. And I have been to Italy to got my training. INTERVIEWER: All right, at lat, would you please.... TIGER WANG: We try to suit each other's needs, so, when you are ready to go public. I feel that the AVG was really very helpful for the Defensive War. In the Air Force, for the strength of the air force, the AVG did a lot of things. It was very powerful for the Defensive War, in war ability, in the Chinese war ability. And, the thing that 28 �makes me feel very respectful was that though our American friends were volunteers stayed in China to help increasing the war ability of China government; I may say that these friends were very respected by me because they tried their best to help, sometimes I feel they tried even harder than they will if worked for their own country. I am not telling this to the American friends only, it is just the truth. For example, I said this before, that the AVG took me as one of their members. I did not tell this to show that I did something in the group, but in order to increase the strength of our American friends, I did try my best to help. To help them was just like to help Chinese ourselves and was equal to work for we Chinese. So I think that these friends in the AVG did devoted themselves to help us. It was not because I have very many American friends, especially in the Air Force, so that I say good words about them. It was not truth, I will never do things like that. I can say that they came to China to fight, and I believe that they will not work harder for their own country than for ours. They did try their best regardless of live or die. So they. I have many American friends in the Air Force, we have the same opinion and all agreed on this point. Especially the U.S. Air Force, they were always with me in battling and training. So, I can say that they did. They did not showed any difference for providing their service to China than to the United States, they were all the same. This is one of the reasons we call our American friends good friends. INTERVIEWER: All right, thank you, thank you. TIGER WANG: This is why we think that the American friends are the best friends. INTERVIEWER: We will finish this very soon. Please say anything as you wish, like some more comments and feelings in your own words. You may say anything you want from now on. TIGER WANG: Take myself as an example, when I began to learn how to fly, I have lots of contact with foreign air forces. As I said, I have been working with U.S. Air Force, U.S.S.R. Air Force, and Italian Air Force, all of them. So, I respected these countries' Air Force staff. They never said that because I am an American served in China for Chinese Air Force, I will do worse here than I will in my own country. Even Russians were like this. Therefore, for the air force staff, I can say that they emphasize on their honor as the most important thing.... [English.] 29 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Flying Tigers Interviews and Films Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Description An account of the resource Collection contains original 1940s films and interviews conducted in the 1990s, documenting the history of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) "Flying Tigers." The Flying Tigers were organized by the United States to aid China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Original filmstrips were recorded by AVG crewmen Joe Gasdick and Chuck Misenheimer, as well as Chinese Air Force Interpreter P.Y. Shu, who was assigned to assist Col. Claire Chennault as he trained Chinese pilots and established the AVG. Interviews with members of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) “Flying Tigers” were conducted by Frank Boring for the documentary film Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers, which he co-produced with Frank Christopher under the production company Fei Hu Films. The AVG Flying Tigers were a group of American aviators, mechanics, medical and administrative military personnel, led by Col. Claire Chennault to assist the Chinese Air Force in their defense against Japanese air strikes from 1941-1942. The AVG Flying Tigers also flew in defense of the Burma Road, a major Chinese military supply route. The group disbanded and returned to regular U.S. military service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Boring, Frank Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1938/1991 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Fei Hu Films Christopher, Frank Gasdick, Joseph Misenheimer, Charles V. P.Y. Shu Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4; application/pdf Language A language of the resource English; Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource video; text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1938-1945 World War II Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Tiger Wang interview (video and transcript), 1991 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Wang Shuming Description An account of the resource Interview (video and transcript) of "Tiger" Wang Shuming by filmmaker Frank Boring for the documentary, Fei Hu: The Story of the Flying Tigers. The interview was recorded in Chinese and English, and the transcript is translated in English. General "Tiger" Wang Shuming was a member of the Chinese Communist Party who had trained in aviation in the Soviet Union. He served the nascent Chinese Air Force as a flight instructor at the Chinese Air Force Academy, established in Hangchow and later moved to Kunming. When the American Volunteer Group (AVG) was established by Claire Lee Chenault to assist the Chinese Air Force in flight instruction, Wang was the Academy's Assistant Commandant (Executive Officer). Later, Wang and Chennault coordinated their defense of the Burma Road against Japanese bombers. After World War II, Wang led a decorated military career, and was eventually promoted to be General and Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Air Force, and then Chief of Staff of the Ministry of National Defense. He served in the United Nations as a representative of China and later became the Chinese Ambassador to Jordan. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Boring, Frank Christopher, Frank Fei Hu Films Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 application/pdf Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-88_Wang_Tiger_1991-03-19 Language A language of the resource chi eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/540">Fei Hu Films Research and Production Files (RHC-88)</a> Subject The topic of the resource Oral history United States--History, Military China--History, Military Veterans China. Kong jun. American Volunteer Group World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Chinese Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1991-03-19 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/96936028d896e99a5f4fefb022ba2aa8.mp4 57e6aa0252839b10febe5cef0bfcf3b7 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5e26910a49cd306c7ff98141956ece71.pdf be0d8b7a25011e81f4ac4f2eb8d844cf PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Notes Length: 1:00:41 Ben VanSlooten WWII Veteran United States Army; May 13, 1943 – October 30, 1946 Transportation (0:20) Reaction to Nazi Party coming to power • United States seemed to think that it was Europe’s problem • Discussion of history of the rise of the Nazi Party (1:08) United States opinion of war • U.S. wanted no part in war; felt it was Europe’s problem • After invasions took place in Europe, there was a peace time draft (1:50) Pearl Harbor • Shocked the US • Surprised that someone dared to attack us • Afterward, there was concern that Japan might attack the west coast o West coast = poorly defended (3:08) Home Front • Most factories began producing wartime materials like landing crafts, airplanes, etc. • Women entered the work force o Rosie the Riveter • Rations • Increasing number of people drafted • U.S. O. came into being and provided entertainment • Schools sold war stamps for $18.25 which could become a $25 bond at maturity • ROTC • People were careful not to say anything that would aid the enemy o Posters with the slogan “Loose Lips Sink Ships!” (4:54) VanSlooten’s wartime experience • His dad was a farmer • People took rationing very seriously; some items were scarce o Sugar, gas, clothing • After high school, worked for a sub-contractor of Cessna Aircrafts making glider planes • When turned 18, he was drafted o Drafted December 19 • Before being drafted, he and his friends would look for metal to melt down for the war (scrap metal) (6:20) Before the Service • Worked part time for a trucking company • Defense plant �• Because worked at a plant helping war effort, VanSlooten was offered deferment from draft status • All his friends were in the military and so decided to go into the Army instead (7:04) Basic training • Armory in Grand Rapids where took a bus to Holland, MI where boarded train to Kalamazoo then Camp Grant in Illinois for uniforms, shots, and tests • Went to a camp in Pennsylvania where assigned to battalions o 4 companies – A, B, C, D • VanSlooten was only one from group to be assigned to Company C o Lonely at first o Youngest man in Company • After 3 months was given leave before shipped overseas • No travel on planes, just buses and trains which were crowded o Even though crowded, servicemen were often sent to the front of the line! o Seemed that everyone tried their best to do nice for the soldiers (9:10) To Europe • 10 days crossing the North Atlantic • Got very seasick • Arrived in Scotland o Had to have small boats ferry soldiers to shore because the docks were not made to hold the big ships • Watched Queen Elizabeth or Queen Mary sail in (9:55) Introduction to war • Air raids and barrage balloons • D-Day o Floating unloading docks o Bombers o Troop carrier planes carrying paratroopers to land behind the fortifications o Omaha Beach was met with terrible resistance; horrendous number of casualties o Utah Beach was successful; troops pushed through the first day (11:08)German v. US production • US in a better situation • Germans had many factories bombed and also used up many men and supplies on the Russian Front (11:18) Ernie Pyle • War correspondent • “lived” with the troops during the war and wrote about his experiences • Wrote: o “This is Your Way” o “Final Chapter” o “Brave Men” ƒ The book’s dedication reads: “In a solemn salute to those thousands of our comrades, brave, brave men that they were, for whom there will be no homecoming ever.” �(12:56) D-Day • VanSlooten was in Foy, England – near Plymouth, England • Half of Company left the day before but bad seas so came back • VanSlooten’s company became the first American ship to sail into port at Antwerp, Belgium • To get there, a British minesweeper sailed first • When arrived, there were many reporters and photographers (14:06) Invasion of Holland • Became a re-supply outfit • Loaded gliders to go to England to drop supplies • Military operation in Netherlands o British man, Montgomery, called it “Market Basket” (Market Garden) o 90% successful (16:07) Belgium • Unloaded ships and moved cargo to trucks that went to supply the front lines • Red Ball Express o First priority trucks o Front license plates had a red ball o When came through, everyone else got out of the way so could pick up gas or whatever else they needed • Friend in outfit from New York o Never drove before in a big 6 by 6 Army truck o Hard to keep up with convoy o One day, completely demolished a vegetable stand by the side of the road o VanSlooten’s friend never made it home (17:48) Locations throughout WWII • Overseas about 2 ½ years • Base in England with 29th infantry division (the division that hit Omaha and had terrible casualties) • Flew in planes and would kick supplies and aid out of the C-47s (19:00) Battle of the Bulge • Was in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge • The weather had been so hazy that when the weather lifted, everybody felt huge relief because the fighter planes and bombers could help the soldiers in the trenches out. • Everybody in his company was given rifles and started to set up defensive lines • Lucky because the Germans never got that far • Story o Heard that some guys who played in an Army band (who had probably never held a rifle in their life) were given rifles and told to “fall in”. (21:25) Reaction of the Belgium people to the US entry into Belgium • Belgium people were very friendly • There were American barracks and German barracks; US kicked Germans out and interesting because on the wall in the German barracks, there were murals showing clean shaven German soldiers shooting down scraggily American troops �• Some Belgium people were probably sympathetic to the Germans but did not admit it. • Seemed like the girls were most sympathetic to the Germans • When the Germans left, the girls who showed sympathies to the Germans were shunned • Dangerous on the streets o One girl went out for something at night and did not come back o The German army snatched her up and put her in a work camp o Her parents had no idea where she was (26:04) War over • Elated feeling, victorious, no more killings, could go home! o Able to go home about 5 months after the war ended • To kill time, they would play baseball, basketball, football, used to referee for basketball games (28:00) Other duties while in war • Clerical work o Morning reports o When guys were missing, would document o Condolence letters o Take care of some of the sick leave guys • Writing so many condolence letters was hard • If had enough time to think about the people receiving the letters, it was rough • You got used to writing the letters but not hardened to it (33:34) Interactions with soldiers from other countries • Chow lines in Belgium o Everyone had mess kits o You would go through the chow lines and put all food in pail o Lots of Belgium civilians would be at the end of the line where would clean out pails o Soldiers would try to leave a little extra food in their pails so that the Belgium people would get some food • France o On a rest leave in Paris, Allied troops were served lots of dry wine not sweet wine; everyone was trying to get sweet wine o A soldier rattled off some words in French and soon everyone was served sweet wine o VanSlooten turned around and saw that the guy who rattled off the French was from North Africa with a huge scar across his face and neck with yellowish teeth…all he remembers thinking is that he was glad that guy was on his side! (36:21) Reunion • First time in house, it felt so small • GI Bill • Great to see those who made it home • Not too many people he knew from home were killed �(40:50) Companies • He was in Company C o Company B also went to Europe o Company A and B went to the Pacific (41:53) Combat • Didn’t fight in hand-to-hand combat but saw a lot of bombing • Germans had jet planes by the end of the war • Planes went so fast that would often miss their targets! (41:59) Stories from the war • Not personally involved in hand to hand combat • Talked to a sergeant from the 29th infantry (Omaha Beach) o Combat was horrific o Germans would wait with machine guns and just slaughter the soldiers coming in on gliders o Some units suffered 100% casualties (43:50) Tanks • On D-Day for landing, the tanks had huge inner-tubes around them so that they could “float” to shore • No one made it • Credit to all the troops because all drove right off of ship into certain death (44:31) First air raid • In Plymouth, England • VanSlooten was in the orderly room at night • CODE PURPLE, which meant hit the air raid shelters or trenches right now! • VanSlooten was a Battalion Runner o Run messages to camp headquarters o Always would have steel helmet and gas mask in cabinet o Shared room with supply sergeant who was very jumpy – always kept his helmet and gas mask on his bed • When got back, found gas mask and helmet gone, his roommate’s had taken VanSlooten’s and forgot his own on his bed • When VanSlooten saw his roommate, it was so funny because the helmet didn’t fit him – it was down to his shoulders (48:48) Procedure with air raids • Go to shelters or trenches or underground shelters (51:54) What war taught • Marveled at the sacrifices patriots made • Unfortunately, keeping the peace in not a unilateral decision (53:04) Kamikaze • Had a good friend who was on a pocket carrier • Came under kamikaze attack • Friend survived (55:23) England • VanSlooten was around a big Navy instillation • He was offered a place to shower, to eat steak with them, and to watch a movie �• • o Was really well taken care of VanSlooten was curious why he was being treated so well The guy said he was at Normandy the day after D-Day and anything he could do for a soldier, he will. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context VanSlootenB Title A name given to the resource VanSlooten, Ben (Interview outline and video), 2006 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource VanSlooten, Ben Description An account of the resource Ben VanSlooten served in the United States Army during WW II from May 13, 1943 to October 30, 1946 in the European Theater. VanSlooten discusses life on the home front, his time in basic training, D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, Operation "Market Basket" (Market Garden), interactions with soldiers from other countries, and his first air raid. He talks about the chow lines in Belgium, a restaurant in France, acts of kindness in England, and the Red Ball Express in Belgium. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Howard, Scott (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Video recordings Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2006-05-31 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a144c4f1d20e90eb8a523e8ae28eaf34.pdf 70a5996f0a5a88f49286794a463611dd PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Vietnam Robert Vandermolen Total Time – (18:22) Background • • • • He enlisted August 26, 1974 Nearly all of his family had served (00:32) He says that everyone is lucky to go to war and come back out (01:20) He gained a lot of respect from his father for serving (01:47) Active Duty – (01:51) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • When he came home, everyone hated the military men (02:01) o A rock band tried to pick a fight with him on his way home He did not get to know any of the Vietnamese people (02:30) It was extremely hot and humid (02:50) He served in a combat mission in Cambodia (03:21) o It was finally declassified in 2000 He worked with mortars, machine guns, explosives, etc during the war (04:20) o He was part of fire support  They would fire explosives to thin out the enemy (04:59) His division was known as the “walking dead” (05:17) The food was very bad during the war It was not very difficult to get acclimated to life when he came home There was extensive training (06:20) o Yet, no one is prepared to go into war (06:48) He flew to Vietnam He landed in Yokohama, Japan (07:19) o Was snowed in here – then traveled to Okinawa o From Okinawa, they traveled to U-Tapao, Thailand where they exchanged for operations in Cambodia (07:39) o Did evacuations from Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam (07:44) He was there near the end of the war Most of the soldiers serving did not think that they would ever go home He keeps in touch with some of the guys he served with (09:08) He spent some time in the Philippines and then went to Korea (10:37) Every country was extremely different to go to Many of the natives in the different countries tried to rob them (11:12) �• • • • • • He enjoyed Thailand the most o The people were nice (11:56) He trained with the Navy, but did not spend much time with any other branch (12:52) o The Marines were self-contained He believes the Marine Corps will open up young men’s eyes (14:00) o The marines changes a person for life  Positive changes He believes that war is like a disease (14:40) He began seeing the war more realistically when he returned (14:57) He was 18 years old when he went into the Marines (15:35) After the Service – (17:03) • • • • After the marines, he sold cars (17:10) He then began working on oilrigs (17:20) He worked on building bridges for some time as well (17:55) Also spent some time working with metal fabrication � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context VandermolenR0995V Title A name given to the resource Vandermolen, Robert (Interview outline), 2010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Vandermolen, Robert Description An account of the resource Robert Vandermolen enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1974 when he was 18 years old. He spent several weeks training before he was sent to Yokohama, Japan. From Japan, he traveled to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Korea. In Vietnam and Cambodia, he assisted with the evacuations of civilians when their governments fell. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Mitleer, Katherine (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Marine Corps Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2010-05-08 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives